Collision at sea off Freetown

British troops have been practising sea landings off Freetown

Two Sierra Leonean fishermen are missing after a collision between their boat and a British navy landing craft.

The accident happened in the early hours of Saturday close to the shore of central Freetown.

Five fishermen were picked up from the sea. UK boats and a helicopter are searching for the missing men.

The incident came as the United Nations Security Council endorsed plans to expand its peacekeeping force in Sierra Leone by an additional 2,000 troops.

British forces in Sierra Leone have also been reinforced, with extra artillery guns flown in from offshore.

The landing-craft, manned by Royal Marines, was on a reconnaissance mission from helicopter carrier HMS Ocean.

HMS Ocean is carrying 800 marines

It was not carrying lights because of security considerations.

The fishing boat, also blacked out, was violating Freetown's night curfew. But correspondents say this is a common practice, as locals say more fish can be caught at night.

A British army spokesman said police had still not confirmed exactly how many people were on board the sunken fishing boat, or whether anyone had managed to swim ashore.

Royal Marines have been carrying out rehearsals of beach landings in Sierra Leone in case they are needed to support British paratroops ashore in Freetown.

HMS Ocean, carrying 800 marines and accompanied by four other Royal Navy ships, arrived off the coast of Sierra Leone last weekend, heightening speculation of greater British involvement.

Boosting UN force

The UN's unanimous decision to bring the size of the Unamsil mission to 13,000 soldiers came as India, Bangladesh and Jordan prepared to send their reinforcements as early as next week.

The move will also benefit from the United States' promise to deliver up to $20m to the UN to help stabilise the situation in Sierra Leone.

Diplomats say Mr Annan wants to see an even larger force

The UK is to provide further assistance in the form of a training programme for Sierra Leone's own army.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a letter to the Security Council that the recent attacks by the rebels against UN personnel made it "crucial to accelerate the deployment of military units".

Diplomats said Mr Annan favoured an even larger force, eventually numbering 16,500 soldiers.

More than 300 UN peacekeepers are still missing in the east of the country, thought to be held by rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF).

The rebels have demanded that their leader Foday Sankoh be released from custody in Freetown, where he was captured earlier this week.

The rebels will "fight rather than negotiate" unless Mr Sankoh is released

A spokesman said the rebels would fight rather than negotiate unless Mr Sankoh was released.

However, the Sierra Leonean Government is investigating a range of criminal charges that it may bring against Mr Sankoh.

Legal sources in the country say the charges range from Mr Sankoh's alleged involvement in the shooting dead of pro-government demonstrators to his role in illegal diamond smuggling.