TITANIC enthusiast Steve Rigby will embark on a voyage of discovery when he set sails on an expedition to see the wreck of the great ship this summer.

The Leigh postman will travel to the North Atlantic ocean in July and arrive at the spot on July 10 where the ship sank in 1912 after it hit an iceberg, which saw the loss of 1,523 lives.

The 46-year-old secretary for the British Titanic Society will travel more than two and a half miles down in a mini sub to the bottom of the ocean where he will take photographs of the decaying wreck.

The historian, who became only the 62nd person to visit the wreck four years ago, hopes the photographs he will take during the latest expedition will highlight the decay of the ship for future generations.

He said: "The last time I went to the Titanic, I was asked to go as a historian and we took some photographs. For someone who had been amazed by the story of the Titanic since the age of eight, and to then actually visit the site was a humbling and deeply moving experience. This time I will be going to see the difference in the condition of the wreck since I last visited four years ago.

"The wreck has been down there since 1912 and it has started to decay. It will be interesting to see what difference there has been in the condition of the wreck. Its important to record these photographs for future generations.

"For me, seeing pairs of shoes and packed suitcases on the ship was deeply poignant. To think that these people, some of them who were starting a new life, had packed these cases all those years ago."

Mr Rigby plans to make a further trip to the Titanic after his latest expedition concludes, with a journey planned from now until 2012.

He would like to thank website titanicvoyage.com, Mike Smith from DE Systems, Leigh, Peter Brobyn from Magnum Furniture, Simon Miller from Millers and Dave Marsden from D&G Windows for sponsoring his expedition to the Titanic.