EYEBROWS have been raised over the latest move by a controversial firm at the centre of the Inchgreen Dry Dock stalemate after the company's name was changed and three directors resigned.

According to Companies House documents filed at the end of last week, Atlas Marine Decommissioning Services - which has a long-term lease of the dormant Greenock site - has been renamed Marine Decommissioning Services.

Meanwhile, three former directors - Harry Dempster, Marc Robertson and Jordan Bell - have ceased their positions with the company, leaving newly-appointed Mark Crabtree as the sole remaining person in charge.

The Telegraph contacted the firm for an explanation, with Atlas Decom's website now removed and no sign of any social media activity since October of last year.

Current managing director Michael Dixon said the business has been sold to new owners, and he told the Tele: "The agenda for me is still to make this work as a venture.

"We need to forge a way forward with the owner and re-establish activity on the site to make this work."

We reported last week how local campaigners have stepped up their efforts for transparency and progress after a Holyrood petition was lodged calling on the Scottish Government to nationalise the dry dock's owners.

Members of the Campaign to Save Inchgreen Dry Dock are urging ministers to take Clydeport, part of the Peel Ports group that has controlled Inchgreen for two decades, into public ownership and 'release its stranglehold' on Inverclyde's marine industrial potential.

READ MORE: Demand for port firm's 'stranglehold' on key industrial asset to be broken

This week, the campaign's secretary Robert Buirds said he 'always had major doubts' about the fledgling ship scrapping firm, which was only set up in mid-2021 and has failed to bring a single vessel to the Greenock site in that time.

Atlas Marine claimed to be 'comprised of a world-leading team of industry veterans' with a 'wealth of experience in marine infrastructure and vessel decommissioning', and the deal to bring it to Greenock two years ago was welcomed as a 'terrific shot in the arm' for the local economy.

Mr Buirds told the Tele: "We were staggered by the number of national and local politicians who welcomed Atlas without doing due diligence.

"The compulsory purchase of Inchgreen would remove this stranglehold the Peel group has on Inverclyde and our river and we encourage our community to sign our Scottish Parliament petition."

More than 800 people have backed the petition so far, including West Scotland Labour MSP Katy Clark.

She previously told the Tele: “Communities up and down the West of Scotland have had enough.

"Instead of chucking grant money at this unaccountable mega-firm, it is time decisions about this key part of the economy were made in the public interest."

Peel Ports Clydeport boss Jim McSporran said his firm 'remains fully committed' to enabling business opportunities, creating quality jobs and supporting the growth of the local and regional economy.