Bodies of missing French fishermen recovered

News imageRNLI A Shannon class lifeboat in rough swell with a wave breaking over it.RNLI
HM Coastguard confirmed three people had been taken to hospital after the incident

The bodies of two French fishermen who had been missing since their trawler sank in the English Channel have been found, French prosecutors have said.

The Maranello trawler sank off the coast of Plymouth on 29 August after reporting problems with its fishing gear, with three of the five crew members rescued by a nearby vessel.

Alex Dehays, deputy prosecutor in Saint-Brieuc, said divers found and recovered the bodies on Saturday after weather conditions allowed searches to resume.

The five-man crew raised a distress call at about 18:00 BST on 29 August.

A nearby fishing vessel, the Stradale, rescued three crew members before the Maranello sank.

The search for the missing fishermen involved UK and French rescue teams in waters south-west of the Eddystone Lighthouse, off Plymouth.

Poor weather delayed dives to the vessel after it was found.

Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.