Timber impounded by the UK Border Agency from Latin America is being used to restore a World War One battleship in Belfast.
The Spanish cedar, worth an estimated £100,000, will help transform HMS Caroline from a rusting hulk to a floating museum.
It is understood the wood was confiscated because there was no documentation to prove it had been harvested from a sustainable source.
Jonathan Porter, a project manager for the restoration of HMS Caroline, said: "They impounded it (and) phoned the National Museum saying, 'We have some timber which you may like to use', and they said: 'We know where it can go'.
"So they got it shipped over to Belfast for us to use as decking material on the ship, which is absolutely fantastic."
HMS Caroline is the last survivor from The Battle of Jutland, the most significant naval engagement of World War One.
The vessel was part of the screening force which sailed ahead of the Grand Fleet to establish the position of German battleships off the coast of Denmark.
What followed was the most significant clash of battleships during the war.
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http://news.sky.com/story/1612378/hms-caroline-restored-with-impounded-wood
