Skipper at centre of death probe

Alan MacLean had been travelling the world

The skipper of a French yacht is at the centre of the investigation into the death of a Scot off the African coast, according to the dead man's family.

Phillipe Sorel reported that Alan MacLean, from Aberdeen, was killed during a struggle aboard his boat when it was allegedly attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia.

However, the dead man's father, Neil MacLean, said he has been contacted by the United Nations and told their inquiry did not support this account of events.

Neil and Dorothy MacLean

UN investigators said their investigation had been revolving around Mr Sorel's account.

Mr MacLean told the Sunday Mail newspaper: "My heart soared when I read this. It is not the end by any means, but is a big step after a desperate nine months."

The father, who believes his son may have unwittingly witnessed a smuggling operation, has passed the letter on to the French authorities who have been investigating the case.

Mr MacLean and his wife Dorothy were informed in September that their 28-year-old son, who was travelling the world, was dead.

The couple were told his body had been buried at sea so there would be no opportunity to bury him.

Mr MacLean had been a crew member on the yacht Correlation when he died.

Soaring temperatures

The yacht's captain told the authorities in Aden, Yemen, when he next docked that pirates had boarded the vessel six days earlier off the coast of Somalia.

He said Mr MacLean had been killed as he tried to fight off the five pirates.

Mr Sorel said the man's body had been buried at sea because of soaring temperatures and the distance of the vessel from land.

However, French authorities, who have jurisdiction because the yacht was French registered, began an investigation after suspicions surfaced about Mr Sorel's story.

Concern first came to light when the chief of security in the port of Aden, Mohammad Turaiq, searched The Correlation shortly after it docked and said he had found no bullet holes or traces of blood.