No sub involved in sinking of trawler 01/03/2007 00:00

QUIMPER, France, Feb 28, 2007 (AFP) - No submarine, either British or Dutch, was involved in the 2004 sinking of a French trawler off the English coast, a French prosecutor said Wednesday.

Log books from three British submarines and their captains' statements had established that they were either in dock or far from the site of the accident, said Anne Kayanakis, the prosecutor for Quimper in northwest France.

Similarly, a Dutch submarine, the Dolfjin, was 12 nautical miles (13.8 miles, 22 kilometres) from the trawler, the Bugaled Breizh, when it went down on January 15, 2004, she added.

The news is a blow to the theory put forward by the families of the five lost crew members who believe the boat sank off Lizard Point after a collision with a submarine.

The families and some journalists point to lab tests that detected unexplained traces of Titanium on the boat's cables. Titanium is used in the paintwork of certain submarines.

A French marine accident report released last November also ruled out the Dutch submarine's involvement.

Copyright AFP

Subject French news