Titanic safety officer warned of need for more lifeboats

Private papers from the official responsible for making sure the Titanic was safe to sail have emerged that show he demanded 50% more lifeboats on board but was pressured by the White Star Line into backing down.

The documents have come to light a century after 1,500 people perished when Titanic sank into icy waters during her maiden voyage on Apr 15, 1912.

The notes, written by Captain Maurice Clarke, the board of trade safety and emigration official who inspected Titanic before she set sail, were not even presented to the inquiry into the disaster.