Over 145 tonnes of waste cleared from Sussex shores

Over 145 tonnes of waste material washed up on beaches around West Sussex over the last few weeks has now been collected and disposed of, a council says.

On 6 December 16 shipping containers went overboard from a cargo ship in the Solent, 11 of which have since washed up in East and West Sussex.

Co-ordinated by West Sussex County Council (WSCC), Arun District Council and Chichester District Council, a major clean-up operation is still recovering debris from the containers, including organic materials and container parts.

"Our priorities remain public safety and protecting the environment," WSCC said, "and the work continues right across the county's coastline."

Waste recovery teams are continuing their work using techniques including litter picking by hand and vacuuming small particles of plastic and foam.

The waste collected is then segregated before being taken away to be disposed of.

Over the weekend, large pieces of foam were recovered from Medmerry Nature Reserve with the permission of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), which owns the reserve.

Work is also under way to recover container pieces from around the West Sussex coastline.

Efforts to clear further fragments are ongoing.

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