Ice Prince Timber Hits South East Beaches

6.23.52pm UTC (GMT +0000) Sun 27th Jan 2008

Sharon Bowles MEP with Worthing Lib Dem Hazel Thorpe, inspecting the timber that has washed up on Worthing's beach

South East MEP Sharon Bowles visited Worthing this weekend, where local Lib Dem Parliamentary Campaigner Hazel Thorpe showed her the timber washed up all along the shore from the wreck of the Ice Prince.

Sharon said "This is an example of one of the extra problems that councils in coastal areas have to face. Right now the timber has to be guarded from scavenging, despite its dubious value, and in this area it had to be prevented from being refloated by the tide, and further damaging the pier. The clear up will cost money and as we know from oil spills it may well take a significant time before the shipping insurers pay compensation."

By coincidence, the previous day Sharon spoke to a gathering of financial and insurance industry representatives at Lloyds. Whilst there she visited the trading floor and was shown the register of shipping losses with the entry for 16 January 2008 - the Ice Prince carrying a cargo of timber. "I hope this makes it easier to establish that there is only one source of this washed up timber, so that the insurers can pay out quickly" said Sharon.