‘We call it a touchstone’: the mission to find the Windrush anchor

The wreck of the ship that was key in Black migration to the UK lies off Algeria. A team is determined to bring its anchor home

We're going to find it," says the leading shipwreck hunter, David Mearns. My confidence level is as high as it's ever been for anything I've ever done." The mission to retrieve the HMT Empire Windrush's anchor so it can stand as a public monument isn't foolproof, but Mearns' experience and conviction leave little room for doubt.

You always have a contingency for unforeseen events [but] there isn't a scenario here where this shipwreck could be a million miles away from where we're looking for it. We'd have to go out and have a total disaster," he adds. I don't contemplate failure."