Fishing boat with striking mural sinks in harbour

Photos of the boat have been shared on social media since it was moored in the harbour

A fishing boat painted with a striking mural, which became a tourist attraction in Plymouth, has sunk.

The vessel, which was built in 1961 and has been moored in Sutton Harbour for over a year, was illustrated with local attractions.

Plymouth artist Kevin Preston told BBC Radio Devon that he and the boat's owner, Neal Stoneman, were "absolutely gutted" and they hoped it could be recovered on Tuesday.

Footage and photos of the incident filmed by people in the Barbican area was widely shared on social media.

A recovery operation is set to get underway on Tuesday, the boat's owner Neal Stoneman said

Mr Preston said the boat had become a local attraction, adding that some of his friends from as far afield as Scotland had travelled to see it while on holiday.

Illustrations painted on the vessel include the Hoe, Tinside Lido, Drake's Island, Mount Batten Pier, the coast of South East Cornwall, Plymouth Sound and Jennycliff Bay.

Neal Stoneman said he had received a phone call alerting him to the incident at around 20:45 BST on Friday.

Artist Kevin Preston said it took several months to complete the murals

He said by the time he got there he was told by the dock manager that "there was nothing that could be done at that time" and that he should come back on Saturday morning.

When asked what might have caused the boat to sink, he said he had "no idea whatsoever because the boat's been there for 18 months now with not a problem".

He said he hoped a team of divers could refloat the 26ft vessel and take it back to a boat storage facility in Plymouth on Tuesday.