£150k drive is set up to keep the Danny ship-shape

AFTER surviving two world wars and 122 years of maritime history, the SS Daniel Adamson - the last steam tug of her kind - now faces one of her greatest challenges.

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The Daniel Adamson Preservation Society, the charity which rescued the vessel from being scrapped 21 years ago, has announced an urgent fundraising campaign to raise £150,000 for essential upgrades to meet new statutory regulations.

The announcement comes nine years to the day since the vessel was relaunched following extensive restoration, on May 6, 2016.

Built in Birkenhead in 1903 at what is now the Cammell Laird Shipyard, “The Danny” is the UK's last surviving steam-powered tug tender with original steam machinery intact.

She operates between berths at Sutton Weaver and the Mersey Waterfront in Liverpool.

The national treasure narrowly escaped the scrapyard in 2004 before being rescued and restored to her Art Deco glory by a team of skilled volunteers.

An irreplaceable part of the nation's maritime heritage, The Danny now requires costly critical inspections and maintenance work to remain operationally compliant with new Maritime and Coastguard Agency regulations, including new life rafts and a new fixed firefighting system.

Andrea Ward, director of the Daniel Adamson Preservation Society, said: “We're at another critical moment in The Danny's preservation journey.