Southend beach hit by spill

Residents have been told to stay away from the coast after a suspect oil spill over the weekend. According to the Port of London Authority patrol ships reported black oil […]

Residents have been told to stay away from the coast after a suspect oil spill over the weekend. According to the Port of London Authority patrol ships reported black oil globules attached to seaweed on Sunday. They stressed that a sheen and not a slick was seen on the surface of the water.

A Southend Borough Council spokesperson said the spill that washed up in the Canvey Island area of Essex was believed to be diesel oil. As a result, a four-mile stretch of beach between the Sealife Centre and the Coast Guard station in Shoeburyness has been closed while the council meet with an anti-pollution team to establish the extent of the problem and how best to deal with it.

The PLA believes the spill came from a cargo ship travelling to Tilbury yesterday and that because of the ship’s size they expected the spill to be a small amount.

Latest Podcast