French authorities probe Maltese flagged ship

The Malta Maritime Authority is investigating the impounding of a Maltese-registered ship and the questioning of its captain.

According to the BBC, the Sichem Pandora, a chemical carrier, with a crew of 15, was on its way to The Netherlands from Tunisia when it was escorted to Dunkirk by French maritime police.

The investigation follows the sinking of a French trawler - Kleine Familie, off the Alderney coast on Thursday. The Sichem Pandora is thought to have been in the area when the French trawler sank.

A spokesman for the MMA told The Times the authority was investigating the case and was also collecting information. He said the authority's inspectors were sent on site yesterday.

The MMA was also in contact with the French Marine Accident Authority, which is leading the investigation.

The BBC reported that a search for five missing fishermen had been called off while a French naval minesweeper was continuing to look for wreckage on the seabed. It said the French authorities had said that the 50-foot wooden trawler had probably been involved in a collision.