Divers believe that they have discovered the 300-year-old remains of a ship once skippered by the notorious British pirate Captain Kidd.  Complete with cannon and anchors, the wreckage of the 400-ton Quedagh Merchant has lain untouched off the coast of Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic.

The ship, sought by treasure hunters for hundreds of years, was located by a local scuba diver.  The wreck, in 10ft of water and just 70ft from the coastline, is likely to yield vital information about Kidd, who was hanged in London for piracy in 1701.

Researchers from Indiana University have been sent to protect the remains from scavengers and turn the area into an underwater preserve.  Charles Beeker, a scuba-diving archaeologist said: “When I first looked down and saw it, I couldn’t believe everybody missed it for 300 years.  “I’ve been on thousands of wrecks and this is one of the first where it’s been untouched by looters.”