Relatives of the Gaul trawler victims are still trying to persuade the Government to send a team to Russia to check the DNA of human remains.
The Foreign Office has so far ruled out sending experts to Russia to verify test results, which it is claimed show that human remains found there in 2012 do not belong to Gaul crew members.
Humberside Police contacted families in October to tell them they are no longer sending anyone to Russia to study the remains.
The force wanted to send three officers to assess the remains of up to ten bodies.
Mystery surrounds the tragedy, which saw all 36 crew members perish when the Hull trawler sank off the Norwegian coast on February 8, 1974.
Sandra Spink, who now lives in Scotland, lost her father John Chisholm aboard the Gaul.
She has written to the Foreign Office urging them to send over a team but has had no response.
She said: "People keep saying there is no reason to go over and test the DNA because the remains are not from the Gaul crew. But we want a team to go over to confirm this is definitely the case.
"We don't trust what the Russians tell us and we have the best DNA testing techniques here."
Mrs Spink is disappointed she has had no response from the Government.
She said: "I wrote to the Foreign Office on behalf of all the families two months ago but I haven't heard a thing.
"I am not going to rest until someone from the UK tests these remains.
"Sheaths belonging to British fishermen were found near the bodies yet they claim the remains are not British.
"When we were told of these remains they really raised our hopes. The families just need closure. Confirming the DNA results one way or another will help a little.
"But I'm not sure we will get the answers I want in my lifetime."
The remains were initially found on the Rybachy peninsula in the Murmansk region of Russia in the mid-1970s, by people living nearby.
The bodies reportedly washed ashore in 1974 or 1975, and were then buried by locals under rocks.
They were rediscovered in 2012 by a researcher who was aware of the sinking of the Gaul.
Humberside Police contacted relatives of Gaul trawlermen last year to make them aware of the discovery.
Steve Holmes, whose 17-year- old uncle Karl Straker was the youngest crew member lost on the Gaul, also contacted the Foreign Office.
He said: "We are very frustrated by the lack of answers but we are getting used to it.
"I can't believe it was over a year ago that we were told about these remains.
"I sent an email to the Foreign Office but I've had nothing back.
"My worry is that my nanna will pass away before she ever finds anything out.
"I think we will have another year of no answers. I don't hold any hope of anything breaking."
A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "The Russian authorities have led on the investigation into the disappearance of the Gaul.
"They have kept Humberside Police and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office updated and as a fellow member of Interpol, we have no reason to doubt the veracity of the Russian response.
"Any follow-up visit would need to be agreed between the relevant investigative authorities."
Saturday 27 December 2014
http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Gaul-tragedy-Relative-rest-UK-sends-DNA-team/story-25769725-detail/story.html
