Beaches Shut to Prevent Looters Taking Timber

Beaches along the South of England coastline will remain closed “indefinitely” as police mount an operation to prevent looters from helping themselves to more than 2,000 tons of timber washed up on the shores from a stricken cargo ship.

Beaches along the Sussex coast from Ferring to Brighton, including Shoreham and Worthing are set to remain out of bounds to the public for the foreseeable future while a salvage operation is completed.

Heavy excavators worked over the weekend to remove the timber above the high tide mark to prevent it drifting back out to sea.

The timber fell overboard from the deck of the vessel Ice Prince before she sank in rough weather off Portland Bill in Dorset last Tuesday.

Fears were growing yesterday among some residents that taxpayers would be left to foot the bill for the clear-up work. Damien Adams, head of West Sussex County Council’s emergency management, acknowledged that in the short term, some authorities would be spending upwards of pounds 30,000 on the salvage operation.

However, he said all money would be recouped when insurance claims were eventually settled.

He said: “We are extremely concerned about the number of people who have been going on the beaches, some of them retrieving wood, while others have been just watching. There are now very large excavators on many of the beaches, which pose a real danger to sightseers.

“We have had to close the beaches for safety reasons, and no-one can say at this stage when they will re-open.” Concerns had been voiced that rough seas might hurl the wood against shingle banks and groynes, causing flood defence damage. However council officials said only one unconfirmed report of minor damage at Shoreham was recorded.

Peter Evans, county council cabinet member for public protection appealed to windsurfers and small craft to stay away from the coast.

He said: “We would advise them to avoid the area until the all- clear is given. All the wood is being moved out of the tidal area and will be stored nearby awaiting collection. Experts have told us the wood is now useless, after spending a week in salt water.”

A Dover Coastguard spokesman said it was likely timber would be washed up further along the Kent coast this week and would be recovered by registered authorities.

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