The family of a missing fisherman were this afternoon informed an all-day search had found no trace of the father of two.

Edward Bissell was fishing in the North Sea in a 28ft-long coble named Bonny Lass, which was found adrift in open sea 14 miles east of Hartlepool, 25 hours after it left harbour.

But there was no trace of 64-year-old owner Mr Bissell, an experienced, part-time fisherman.

Five lifeboats quartered the North Sea off the Tees and Durham coastline, while two RAF Sea King helicopters tried to spot the boat and its owner from the sky.

They were joined by three coastguard teams who searched the shoreline at Seaham, Hartlepool and Redcar.

The Bonny Lass, left Hartlepool dock at 11.05am on Wednesday, the Teesmouth lifeboat finding the empty boat 14 miles out in open sea at 12.30pm yesterday.

It was one of the missing man's two daughters who reported the Bonny Lass overdue.

It is understood his habit was to fish immediately off the Hartlepool shoreline and he had owned other boats before the Bonny Lass.

The coble was eerily found adrift with its engines running and everything on board shipshape - but for no-one being on board.

It was found by the South Gare, Redcar-based Teesmouth lifeboat which towed Bonny Lass into Hartlepool Fish Quay as dusk fell today.

One of those involved in the search said: "When lone fishing, it's easy to slip, to stumble and over the side you go.''

The sea conditions had been good, but visibility poor when the coble set off from Hartlepool on Wednesday.

A spokesman for Humber Coastguard said: "We don't know what has happened.''