Thieves target historic submarine wreckage

Divers stole the torpedo tube hatch of the Holland 5, the only surviving example on the seabed of this class of submarine in the world.

The theft was discovered during a licensed dive by the Nautical Archaeology Society in June and confirmed during a survey dive last month.

Experts said a group of people would have been behind the theft but that the hatch carried very little monetary value.

English Heritage and Sussex Police yesterday appealed for help to catch the perpetrators, who are believed to have struck over the past two years.

Removing the hatch and accessing the site without a licence is illegal under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973, police warned.

Initial inquiries suggest it has not been reported to the Receiver of Wreck, indicating an offence may also have been committed under the Merchant Shipping Act.

The Holland class of submarine became obsolete in the early 20th Century and in 1912 the Holland 5 was destined for scrap.

It was being towed to Sheerness in Kent when she foundered six miles off the coast near Eastbourne, East Sussex.

One theory was that it took on water after the hatch that was stolen was left open.

Described as a remarkable piece of British naval heritage, the wreck remained undiscovered until the mid-90s when she was found by chance by a diver.