DORSET'S floating prison could be transformed into an underwater diving attraction off Portland if an ambitious project goes ahead.

Weymouth and Portland Dive Charter Association has drawn up plans to sink the prison ship Weare, creating a unique 'wreck' for scuba divers to explore.

It is one of four proposals - which include a seabed sculpture park, the sinking of two railway carriages and a mile-long trail of car tyres across the sea floor - aimed at bringing back the profitable diving trade to Portland.

It was announced last month that The Weare would cease to opeate as a prison by the end of this year. It will mean the loss of 250 jobs and an estimated £9 million off the local economy.

Association's spokeswoman Liisa Wallace said the prison ship would be sunk to the west of the island on 'spoiled ground', if the Home Office agreed to hand it over.

She said: "This would be unique and would make an excellent wreck for divers. The Weare has special links here and this idea will stir people's imagination.

"The ship doesn't have engines so the cleaning-up costs will be less than other vessels. It would be easy to modify and make safe for divers to go inside.

"We want to restore Portland to the number one venue for diving that it was a few years ago and this would be a real asset to the island. Now we need to persuade the Home Office to donate or sell it to us."

She added that the project would cost 'substantially less' than the £2 million price tag for sinking the HMS Scylla near Plymouth - now a popular diving destination.

Liisa won support for all four proposals when she presented them to Weymouth and Portland Borough Council's economy and regeneration committee.

Councillors promised help to get a project team off the ground and called on South Dorset MP Jim Knight to put his weight behind the plans.

Weymouth harbourmaster David Stabler told the meeting that the proposed area for sinking the Weare was 'an ideal spot' clear of boat traffic.

Liisa says the association has been in talks with Portland Port bosses who suggest the railway carriages and metal or stone sculptures be submerged within the island's breakwater.

She said the environmentally friendly 'snake' of used car tyres would be further out to sea and the change in water depth it provides should attract many fish for divers to watch.

The Weare - originally built to accommodate and later used to house troops in the Falkland Islands - is due to be withdrawn from service by the end of this year, having opened as a temporary floating prison in July 1997.

Four months ago, the Metropolitan Police announced it was interested in moving the vessel to the Thames to hold convicts, but no decision has yet been made on the ship's future.