‘DUMPLING’S ON THE WELSH COAST

Holyhead Coastguards are investigating beaches along the rocky coastline near Holyhead on the island of Anglesey in North Wales which are covered with "dumpling like'' globules of white and brown gunk that may have come from a ship that illegally flushed its tanks close to shore.

Substantial amounts have been found on 12 miles of beaches in an area that stretches from Carmel Point to Point Lynas on Anglesey.

Coastguard teams from Moelfre, Penmon and Cemaes, as well as the Moelfre Inshore Lifeboat have been out to investigate the situation and have confirmed that the oil has impacted quite heavily on bathing beaches. Holyhead coastguard has advised bathers not to go on beaches covered with the substance, which sticks to sand.

Samples of the substance have been taken up to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) in Edinburgh for testing. The MCA’s scientist and counter pollution and salvage officer is currently liasing with other agencies to minimise the impact of the oil.

A Coastguard spokesperson said, "If it's vegetable oil it'll decompose, it's not toxic... it's just a nuisance. It smells disgusting... It's not conventional fuel oil.''

Tankers transporting vegetable oil are allowed to flush their tanks in open sea but it is illegal to do so close in to shore. Spills of vegetable oil are not unknown on British beaches.

The responsibility for any clear-up operation along the shore would fall to the local authorities and both Anglesey Council and the Environment Agency are aware of the incident.