Lottery puts another £10m into Cutty Sark

The money brings the total donated to the historic vessel by the fund over the past two years to £20.75 million.

Trustees decided to step in to help the restoration project again after the fire left the ship's hull an empty hulk. Police are still investigating the blaze.

Fund director Carole Souter said that giving two grants to the same project was unusual.

But she added: "The Cutty Sark is an amazing testament to our maritime heritage and one that we felt passionately must be protected for another century's worth of enjoyment.

"This was an extremely difficult decision for the HLF to take due to huge pressures on our budget. However, in this instance we made an exceptional decision to award additional funds to the Cutty Sark Trust so they can go ahead and realise their vision for this magnificent ship."

The trust wants to suspend the ship three feet above the ground so visitors can walk beneath the hull.

Restoration work was already taking place when the vessel caught fire in a dry dock in Greenwich last May. Much of the vessel's rigging, masts, coach and deck escaped the fire as they were in storage in Chatham, in Kent.

But the blaze added an extra £9million to the cost of restoration. Despite raising £1.2 million in public donations, the Trust was left £14 million short.

Richard Doughty, chief executive of the Cutty Sark Trust, said: "Once again, we must all be grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the unflagging support they've shown to the Cutty Sark.

"We asked them to save the ship from corrosion - now we've had to ask them to save her from fire."

The 900-tonne vessel was built in 1869 by Scott & Linton in Dumbarton to transport tea from China to Britain. In 1815, she achieved the fastest wind-powered voyage from Australia to England via Cape Horn - 72 days.

In 1922, after the Cutty Sark had finished as a working ship, Captain Dowman of Falmouth believed she should be preserved and made part of his nautical school.

His widow donated the ship to the Thames Nautical Training School at Greenhithe in 1938 and the vessel was later put in dry dock.

Structural problems identified in the Nineties led to grants of £25million being awarded and the ship was closed to the public in November 2006 for restoration.

The HLF has also granted £21million for the restoration of the Mary Rose.