The Cutty Sark, the historic London-based sea clipper that was ravaged by fire in May 2007, is set to reopen in summer 2010.

The ship was already undergoing a restoration project, and the fire - which was caused by an industrial-sized vacuum cleaner - has added £10m to the project's original cost of £25m.

The BBC quoted Jessica Beverly, curator of the Cutty Sark Trust, as saying: "The ship is not very pretty at the moment as all the planks are being treated.

"The planks will start being put back in the next month. They will be painted with special paint to prevent further corrosion."

The project will see the ship raised three metres above her current position and suspended so that visitors can walk beneath to see the ship's hull design.

There will also be a glass canopy meeting the ship at the waterline and covering the dry dock with 1,000sq m space for events.