URGENT action is being taken to protect what could be one of the most important wrecks ever found in British waters from modern-day pirates.

The Bonhomme Richard, flagship of the legendary US War of Independence hero John Paul Jones, was sunk in 1779 in the North Sea.

Four years ago, The Northern Echo revealed that divers believed they had found the wreck, amid many others, lying at the bottom of Filey Bay.

Now scientific tests have indicated the wreckage could indeed be that of the fabled warship.

And in an effort to prevent unscrupulous salvage teams from stripping the site clean, the Government has issued an urgent Designation Order, prohibiting any interference without specific approval.

A team, led by local diver John Adams, had been searching for the wreck for more than 20 years when it made the find in 1998.

Since then archaeological finds, radio-carbon dating and dendrochronology - tree ring dating - have all suggested it could well be the Bonhomme Richard, although the identification is not definite.

If the ship is the one commanded by John Paul Jones, the find could be the most important wreck discovered since the Mary Rose.

The Bonhomme Richard was part of a small fleet of ships fighting the British in UK waters during the American Revolution.

It was involved in the 1779 battle of Flamborough Head with the Serapis and the Countess of Scarborough. Jones captured the Serapis, but the Bonhomme Richard sank.

The engagement led to Jones becoming a national hero in the US. He is considered the "father of the US Navy".

Tony Green, of the Filey Underwater Research Unit, said: "We are not claiming we have definitely found it - but there's good evidence to suggest it is the prime candidate."

The Government slapped on the order amid fears that the site could be stripped within days.

Arts minister Baroness Blackstone said: "I felt it was vital to urgently protect what is believed to be the Bonhomme Richard while further investigations take place."