TWO fishermen are feared dead after a trawler disappeared in the North Sea yesterday.

Rescuers feared the worst when one of 20 vessels searching for the trawler Jan Denise picked up a strong smell of diesel and an unregistered sonar reading on the sea bed. A search began at about 5pm after the boat failed to arrive at Tynemouth, North Tyneside, at 2pm.

The fishermen are believed to be brothers, from Sunderland, one in his 20s and one in his 30s. Family gathered last night at North Shields fish quay, hoping for their return.

Paul Shone, superintendent at North Shields Fishermen's Mission, said: "The boat set out from Sunderland at 10.45am, heading for Tynemouth. They have now become well overdue and that does not happen very often.

"It is not good out there by any means. We are extremely worried about them."

Trawlers from the length of the North-East coast and lifeboats from the rivers Tees, Wear and Tyne scoured an area 15 miles off Tynemouth.

Two helicopters from RAF Boulmer, in Northumberland, and a Cleveland Police spotter plane made sweeps of the area.

The Jan Denise was last seen by another boat at 1pm, five miles off-shore.