A World War One naval heritage vessel HMS Caroline - the only surviving ship from the Battle of Jutland and one of Belfast’s leading visitor attractions - will remain closed until 2021 due to funding pressures.

The National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN), which operates HMS Caroline in the Titanic Quarter on behalf of the Northern Ireland executive, said the decision was taken after an operations and funding agreement could not be reached with the Department for the Economy (DfE).

HMS Caroline had been temporarily closed since March 17 in line with public health advice.

The operational agreement for HMS Caroline expired on 30 June, leaving NMRN unable to go on operating the ship.

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