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From The Times
January 21, 2008

Timber! Surfers can’t see beach for the trees

Children make a see-saw from wood washed ashore at Worthing which has come from the Ice Prince
Stephanie Condron

Pictures of the wreckage

A beach was closed yesterday after hundreds of tons of timber were washed ashore.

It fell from the deck of the Ice Prince before the freighter sank in rough weather off Portland Bill in Dorset on Tuesday. Planks were piled several feet deep on the tide line at Worthing, West Sussex. The clear-up is expected to continue for most of the week.

Timber was also washed ashore along a seven-mile stretch east of Selsey Bill, East Sussex. Fred Caygill, spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said: “Pockets of timber have been coming ashore in certain areas, but Worthing was hit the hardest.”

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Alison Kentuck, the Receiver of Wreck, said that some people had arrived with vans intending to steal a large quantity of timber. “We are trying to keep it to a minimum,” she said.

Ian Lowrie, chief executive of Worthing Council, said that the timber posed a risk to windsurfers and kite surfers. “If they hit timber at the speeds they go, it could be very nasty. We have handed out leaflets warning of the dangers, and put notices on surfing websites,” he said.

Efforts were being made to assess whether more of the cargo would be coming ashore. The timber is being monitored in the English Channel and small boats have been warned of the dangers of looking for the lost cargo.

The Greek-registered Ice Prince, measuring 328ft (100 metres), sent out an emergency call at 7pm last Sunday. Twenty crew were rescued by helicopter and lifeboat in storm conditions after the cargo shifted and she listed to 40 degrees.

I was down at Worthing sea front at lunchtime today (Monday) and still more timber is being washed ashore with each high tide. Quite a spectacle, which is attracting lots of people with cameras onto the pier - the best viewpoint now that the beach has been closed off.
Neville Goddard, Worthing

Neville Goddard, Worthing, England

Right-O,
Yes it is salvage, and not just in the UK, but just about everywhere ( except some communist countries). This is the law when dealing with maritime issues. Get those vans there and start piling on the wood. Anyway It will cost them more to clean the wood from the beach than its market value.

M, Milwaukee, USA

As a schoolboy I recall being shown evidence of longshore drift on the south coast when on a geography field trip. I never suspected that it would be powerful enough to push Selsey Bill over into East Sussex. Must be global warming! Mr Clarkson take note.

Simon, Brussels,

Actually, Salvagers are not "thieves". Our Stalinistic government might like to call salvagers and beachcombers thieves, but according to UK law, and the Receiver of Wreck's own website, "The Receiver of Wreck will investigate former ownership, attempt to reunite the owner with their property and ensure that the finder receives any salvage due". There is nothing unlawful about salvaging material washed up on a beach provided you report it.

Peter, London,

Ah, and out of the woodwork (no pun intended) come the
thieves.

I do hope no one is injured surfing, swimming, boating, etc.

Jerry Scroggin, Phoenix, Arizona/USA

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