The last piece of the Riverdance ferry is set to be removed from the Fylde coastline in the next two to three weeks.

All visible signs of the vessel have been removed by demolition experts, but a large final piece remains buried under the sand.

The last piece of the ferry is around 50ft by 30ft, weighing 40 to 50 tonnes and is buried as deep as four or five metres in the sand.

Hugh Shaw, the Secretary of State’s Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention, said: “It won’t be an easy job to remove the final piece of the ship.

“The operation should take around seven days but that will be spread over a few weeks, as contractors can only work when the tide is out, and even then strong winds can blow water back in.

“The job has taken longer than expected, but the most important aspect was to get it done properly and contractors have been very conscientious in their work.”

Mr Shaw said work had slowed down in recent weeks as workers battled with worsening weather conditions.

After removing the final piece of the vessel, contractors will use sonar scanning machines to scan the beach for any stray debris, a job that is likely to take only one or two days.

Gordon Whitaker, from the Environment Agency and chair of the Riverdance’s environment group, said: “We are very pleased with the work that has taken place and the effort that has been put in to keep the area clean.

“It is an important area for many types of wildlife so we are delighted the way the operation has been run, and we don’t envisage any environmental problems from here on in.”

The Riverdance ran aground just south of Cleveleys on January 31 after getting into difficulties while travelling between Northern Ireland and Heysham.