THE public inquiry into the loss of the trawler Gaul and its 36 crew - including the husband of a Brierfield woman - will reconvene today.

A former Royal Navy chief petty officer, who previously claimed he overheard a Polaris submarine officer claim his vessel had become entangled in the Gaul's nets, is to give evidence.

The official inquiry into the loss of the Gaul in the Barents Sea in 1974 was held in Hull this year, with the Wreck Commissioner adjourning to write his report in February.

But relatives of those killed in the disaster claim the probe has brought them no closer to the truth.

The Hull-docked vessel sank off the coast of Norway in 1974 amid rumours it was involved in spying on the Soviet navy, a claim the Ministry of Defence has always denied.

Sheila Doone, of Sackville Street, Brierfield, whose husband, John, was a radio operator on the trawler, is among the group of relatives campaigning for the truth about the Gaul's sinking.

Today the Wreck Commissioner, Mr Justice Steel, will return to Hull to hear from ex-chief petty officer Derek Barron.

The one-day hearing will also hear further evidence from the MoD concerning military exercises and deployment of naval vessels and submarines at the time.

A spokesman for the Attorney General's Office said there will also be new evidence from the Chief Engineer of a Swedish vessel which was in the Barents Sea in February 1974.