A regional daily has urged the government to save its patch’s “last fishermen” after Brexit uncertainty prompted concerns they may lose their jobs.

The Hull Daily Mail made a front page plea this morning to help the 100 crew members of the Kirkella, Hull’s last remaining distant-water trawler.

Talks over Britain’s fishing rights in Norway, where the Kirkella fishes, have been stalled by the Brexit trade deal deadlock.

The Mail and its Hull Live sister website have now launched a petition to urge the government to urgently engage in talks with Norway to allow the trawler to return to sea.

The petition states: “The 100-strong crew of the Kirkella fishing trawler face a dark winter in Hull.

“One of the last distant water trawlers operating from the UK, the Kirkella is laid up, idle, in her home port as no deal has been reached between the governments of the UK and Norway over fishing rights to the deep waters.

There she catches and processes the cod and haddock for one in ten of every portion of fish ‘n’ chips in the country.

“With an agreement mired in the delays over Brexit, the Kirkella and her dedicated fishermen cannot sail.

“Their families face a bleak Christmas and New Year as they anxiously wait for the news which will allow their loved ones to embark on the challenging and dangerous work they do for our communities.”

Jane Sandell, chief executive of Kirkella operator UK Fisheries, told the Mail: “With no deal, we have nowhere to fish come January.

“This means that 100 or so crew, and their families, and children, are facing a very uncertain Christmas.”

Kirkella first mate Charlie Waddy added: “I’m having the crew members ringing me up now, they’re all worried about their jobs.

“They’ve got families and they need to know what’s happening. What can we do? If they tie the ship up, we’ll be out of work.”