Nicola Faith: Missing Conwy fishing boat to be raised from sea bed

The wreck of the Nicola Faith fishing boat was found in April

A missing fishing boat that sank in January killing three men will be raised from the sea bed.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said it has taken the decision to recover the Nicola Faith after dive surveys of the wreck.

The bodies of Alan Minard, 20, Ross Ballantine, 39, and skipper Carl McGrath, 34, were all found in March.

Familes of the crew members have been told about the plans to lift the vessel from the sea bed off the Welsh coast.

"The vessel will be raised using a specially designed barge crane that has been chartered by MAIB," said investigators.

• Killed fishermen's families give £11k gift to RNLI

• Missing boat 'could have been found earlier'

"The operation will be undertaken when weather and tidal conditions are suitable. It will then be taken ashore to a secure location for further examination before being prepared for a stability assessment."

Alan Minard, Ross Ballantine and Carl McGrath went missing while on the Nicola Faith fishing boat

The Nicola Faith was found 1.9 nautical miles (2.2 miles) off the north Wales coast at Rhos Point, near Colwyn Bay, after it failed to return to Conwy harbour on 27 January.

The boat was finally identified by search teams in April, after the bodies of the three crew were recovered.

The wreck of the Nicola Faith was found off the coast near Colwyn Bay in April