A MISSING trawler was yesterday located on the bed of the North Sea, but with no sign of its two-man crew.

Search teams using specialist sonar equipment found a submerged vessel near the mouth of the Tyne.

Last night, it was confirmed as the Jan Denise II.

The 36-ft steel-hulled trawler, crewed by father-of-three Bobby Temple, 32, and his 26-year-old brother Brian, both of Fencehouses, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, disappeared in heavy seas on Wednesday.

A search covering 1,200 square miles of sea was called off late on Friday.

Yesterday, Northumbria Police confirmed that the vessel had been found in 46m of water, five miles due east of the mouth of the River Tyne.

A spokeswoman said: ''As yet, there are no signs of the missing crew members.

''The families of the two men wish to thank members of the public and the fishing community for their continuing help and support at this difficult time.''

The Jan Denise II had sailed from the Fish Quay, at North Shields, early on Wednesday.

The brothers, originally from Seaham, east Durham, were experienced trawlermen.

A search, involving an RAF Nimrod, a Sea King helicopter, a flotilla of local fishing boats and RNLI lifeboats, was launched that evening when they failed to return.

During the search, a fishing vessel reported a smell of diesel and a possible sonar object on the seabed close to the mouth of the Tyne.

Photographs of the wreckage were taken.

Because of the murky conditions under water, it was decided to send down a diver to confirm that it was the wreck of the Jan Denise II.