Two sisters fighting to have the torpedoed merchant navy ship on which their father died during the second world war designated a war grave scored an important victory yesterday in the court of appeal.

The ruling in favour of Rosemary Fogg and Valerie Ledgard opens the way for others whose relatives were lost in merchant navy vessels sunk by enemy action while travelling in convoy with military ships to apply for their resting places to be protected as war graves.

The final decision, however, still rests with the defence secretary.