THE son of an engineer who died in a Middle East ferry tragedy has branded the ten-year prison sentence handed down to the ship's owner as "disgusting".

Christopher Langan, formerly of Darlington, died on the Al Dana, a dhow passenger vessel, on March 30, last year, off the coast of Bahrain, while celebrating the end of a building project.

Yesterday, the Bahraini boat's owner, Abdulla Al Kobaisi, was jailed for ten years for the manslaughter of 58 people in a Bahraini court.

The ship's captain, Rajendrakumar Ramjibhai, was also jailed for three years for manslaughter .

The dinner cruise capsized in calm seas in the Persian Gulf, with 137 passengers aboard. The captain was arrested shortly after the disaster. He has already spent 13 months in custody.

Al Kobaisi was released on bail following the sentencing, pending an appeal against his verdict.

Mr Langan's son, Christopher Mackenzie, who now lives in Manchester, said the owner's sentence was too lenient.

He said: "Ten years, to my reckoning, is two months for every life, and for him to appeal is a bit cheeky. But no amount of sentence will bring any of the victims backs. It is good to see some form of justice being done. Hopefully, other places will learn from the mistakes and suitable safety procedures put in place."

Mr Mackenzie said he also had sympathy with the Indian captain's sentence.

Mr Mackenzie added: "Yes, the captain was ultimately responsible, but he was under a great deal of pressure at the time and he has been made a scapegoat."

Mr Langan, 52, was an industrial surveyor and had worked at engineering company Whessoe Oil and Gas, in Darlington, until he moved to the Middle East ten years ago, where he worked for Bureau Veritas.

Known to his friends as Kit, he was the only member of his firm on board the ship when it sank.

His estranged wife, Glynis, and their daughter, Emma, still live in Darlington. They have joined families of the 14 other Britons who died in the incident to start civil proceedings.

Witnesses said the boat was overcrowded, something the boat owner denied.

At an inquest into the deaths of some of the British victims last year, solicitor Clive Garner said there were grave concerns about the use of the dhow, its operation and regulation.