Troubled Tyneside shipbuilder Swan Hunter may be sold by its owner Jaap Kroese to prevent bankrupcy. The company, which is 146 years old and built both the Mauritania and the Carpathia, was rescued from receivership in 1995 by Kroese but is now struggling to attract new orders. Its workforce has fallen from 1,500 to just 250 in 12 months. While Kroese has not formally put the company on the market, he has stated that the right offer from a serious buyer committed to securing the company's future would entice him to sell.