THE widow of a radio operator who worked aboard the trawler Gaul said the public inquiry into the sinking had brought back painful memories.

Sheila Doone, of Sackville Street, Brierfield, lost her 34-year-old husband John when the Hull-based ship sank off the coast of Norway in February 1974.

She is among many relatives who have regarded the sinking as suspicious after rumours the ship was involved in spying on Soviet naval manoeuvres for MI6.

The rumours have always been strenuously denied by the Ministry of Defence.

Attorney General Lord Goldsmith opened a new inquiry into the sinking last week, which is expected to last until late February. It began with a minute's silence in memory of the 36 men who died.

Mrs Doone and her partner Ernest Green spent two days in Hull and plan to return at regular intervals until the inquiry is concluded in up to six weeks time.

She said: "The inquiry brings back a lot of painful memories, though a lot of them never really went away.

"I have been in touch with a lot of the other families for a long time and we have had a lot of meetings so we are all going through it together.

"So far, there have been a few little bits of new information but nothing really important.

"I don't really think the result will be what we want because the Government is running the inquiry and I just don't feel it will answer our questions.

"I will be going on Thursday when someone from MI6 is due to be there and I will keep going as often as I can. I believe the Gaul was involved in espionage and that the sinking is related to that."

The original inquiry into the loss of the Gaul concluded in 1974 that the ship had become a victim of mountainous seas which had engulfed it, but relatives were unhappy with the verdict and campaigned through the Gaul Families' Association for another inquiry.

The public inquiry in Hull was set to continue today.