The US naval fleet's smallest nuclear-powered submarine is to attempt to locate the wreck of a ship which sank off the Yorkshire coast in 1779.

The Bonhomme Richard - captained by Scottish-born sailor John Paul Jones - went down off Flamborough Head.

Jones is widely regarded as the founder of the modern day US navy.

History experts now hope to use modern technology to find the wreck, which has been the subject of a number of discovery attempts in recent years.

The 150ft-long nuclear-powered NR 1 submarine was first used in 1969.