Thousands of pieces of timber have been washed up on the beaches across southern England after a cargo ship sank off the Dorset coast. Coastguards said the timber, several feet deep on the tide line, now stretched along the Sussex coast and was moving east towards Kent's coast
The Greek-registered Ice Prince sunk about 26 miles (42km) off the coast after a storm on 13 January. More than 2,000 tonnes of timber have drifted 100 miles through the Channel. The 10m (33ft) lengths of sawn wood were put on board in bundles, but sea conditions broke many of them apart.
Solent coastguard said timber had washed up all the way from Littlehampton in West Sussex to Beachy Head in East Sussex. He said: "What's there on the beach will stay until it is removed by contractors authorised by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. "Any other wood in the Channel will move to and fro with the tides."
He said coastguards were unable to predict where timber in the water would drift, because it could depend on whether it was affected by the wind. Dover coastguard used an aircraft on Monday to assess how far the timber had travelled.
West Sussex County Council said there were unconfirmed reports of minor damage to sea defences.
It said people taking the wood had become a "serious problem". A spokesman said: "Lots of people have been turning up, including men in vans taking a load - a significant number of people."
Sussex Police have issued a warning to say removing the timber is unlawful, and if people continue to take the wood, they could be liable to prosecution and arrest under the Merchant Shipping Act.
Safety warnings
Worthing beach was closed at the weekend to allow heavy machinery to remove the washed-up cargo. Barriers and cordons were being erected along the beach, with "public safety the key element".
Wendy Knight, from Worthing Borough Council, said the ship's owners had appointed contractors to find a market for the timber which would then be sold.
Mariners, windsurfers and canoeists have been warned that the floating wood could cause a serious accident.
All timber sighted must be reported to Solent Coastguard by telephoning: 02392 559021 or 02392 559022.
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