A top diver was today (Wednesday) heading to the site of the sunken Kursk nuclear submarine to take part in a £60m operation to salvage it.

Mark Girdlestone, 42, is flying out to the site where the Russian submarine sank following a mystery explosion last August.

Mr Girdlestone, who runs Shoremark Diving and Marine in High Street, Brightlingsea, said: "This is clearly a complex and intricate operation and will be a huge challenge for myself and the team I'll be working with."

He will also have to train Russian divers while he is out there.

Twelve bodies were recovered last year, but 106 bodies still remain on the submarine, which is carrying torpedoes and nuclear reactors.

The operation will be hazardous, and any damage to the vessel could result in radioactive material leaking into the sea.

Some of the crewmen's families have said they want their loved ones' bodies to remain at sea, but the Russian government has decided to act following criticism of its handling of the rescue attempt last year.

After extensive research into salvage methods, giant cables on a barge will be used to winch up the 25,000 tonne sub from 108 metres. It will then be taken to dry dock in Murmansk in Russia for the bodies to be removed.

Father-of-three Mr Girdlestone, whose wife Jane is a Colchester borough councillor, said: "We will have to cut the bow section off first and get rid of any torpedoes that are there. Then holes will be drilled through the hull and wires attached, so we can winch up the sub using a hydraulic system and then put floating pontoons underneath.

"It's a very complicated feat of engineering."

Mr Girdlestone left early today (Wednesday) for Russia, on the ten-day voyage by ship to the Barents Sea. He is one of ten British divers involved.

During his Royal Naval career, Mr Girdlestone took part in a series of historic dives which led to the recovery of surviving Holland class sub, the first type used by Britain's navy.

Recently he received the Platinum 5000 Diver award for completing more than 5,000 dives and for his remarkable contribution to diving technology.

Hazardous task - diver Mark Girdlestone, who is on his way to Russia to aid the recovery of a nuclear submarine.

Picture: STEVE BRADING

By Mark Beales

Reporter's e-mail: mark_beales@thisisessex.co.uk

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.