THE search for a fishing boat with two brothers on board was called off last night.

The operation was cancelled after a 24-hour search over a wide expanse of the North Sea failed to find the 32ft steel-hulled Jan Denise II.

Bobby Temple, 32, and his brother Brian, 26, both from Fencehouses, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, sailed from the Fish Quay, at North Shields, North Tyneside, early on Wednesday morning.

The last anyone heard from the two experienced trawlermen, who were originally from Seaham, County Durham, is when Bobby's wife, Christine, received a text from him at about 11am saying they were heading home.

The alarm was raised four hours later when they failed to return and a search was launched at 4.45pm.

During the search, a fishing vessel reported a smell of diesel and possible sonar "object" on the sea bed about 4.5 miles from the mouth of the Tyne, in the area where the Jan Denise II was last seen.

Humber Coastguard requested specialist sonar equipment from Humberside Police, which is being used to determine if the object is the missing trawler.

Mike Puplett, watch manager at Humber Coastguard, said: "Our thanks go to all the assisting units for their tireless efforts over the last 24 hours.

"Our sympathies and thoughts are with the family of the missing crew."

Hopes were raised briefly when flares were reported in the southern part of the search area. However, these turned out to have been fired by people on the mainland in an apparent attempt to confuse the rescue crews.

Last night, Christine Temple and the couple's three children, Dale, 13, Lewis, eight, and Shannon, 18 months, were being comforted by family members.

A close relative said: "We are just waiting and hoping that they got into the life raft that they always carried on the boat.

"We understand that there was a boat travelling behind them and another one in front when their boat just went missing in the heavy seas."

Neighbour Tom Harding, 68, a retired merchant navy officer, said: "I really feel for the family, they are wonderful people.

"I was at sea myself for many, many years, so I know how uncertain things can be."

Yesterday, the search, which had continued overnight, had been widened to 1,200 square miles of sea.

It involved a Nimrod from RAF Kinross, a Sea King helicopter from RAF Boulmer, in Northumberland, and seven RNLI lifeboats aided by about 20 fishing vessels.

There was also an extensive shoreline search from the River Tyne to Whitby.