 The Gaul sunk in heavy seas in 1974 with 36 men aboard |
Inquests into the deaths of four of the fisherman who went down with the Gaul trawler have been adjourned until the conclusion of a public inquiry. The Gaul, a fishing vessel based in Hull, was lost off the Norwegian coast on 8 February, 1974.
In 2002, four sets of human remains were raised from the wreck, which was located in the Barents Sea in 1997.
They were identified as James Wales, Maurice Spurgeon, Stanley Collier and Clifford Briggs.
On Friday, the Department of Constitutional Affairs (DCA) said the Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, had directed the inquests must be adjourned.
Espionage theory
Their deaths will be investigated by a public inquiry headed by Mr Justice Steel which is due to start in Hull in January.
Investigations at the time concluded the boat sunk after being battered by heavy seas.
But suspicions have lurked for almost 30 years that the trawler could have been downed by a Soviet submarine because there was a spy on board the Hull vessel.
The public inquiry is due to begin on 13 January.
One-Minute World News 
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