Free flights for Spanish oil clean-up

Come one, come all: No shortage of work to be done

By Claire Marshall BBC correspondent in Madrid

The Spanish airline, Iberia, is offering people living in Spain free flights to travel to Galicia to help clean up the oil slick from the tanker Prestige.

The tanker went down in November with a cargo of 77,000 tons, which is still leaking into the Atlantic.

There will be spaces on Iberia planes for around 10,000 volunteers a week until the end of February.

The Spanish Government has been severely criticised for not doing enough to help clear up the spill.

Lack of support

In Galicia a thick, black coating of oil still covers hundreds of miles of the region's coastline.

Galicia has been grateful for volunteers

While the Spanish Government has been fiercely attacked for its poor response to the disaster, local residents has been touched by the thousands of volunteers who have come to clear up what they can.

Until now they have received little support and no supplies.

But from Friday in a deal with the government, Iberia, will provide 25,000 free flights to Galicia and 25,000 return flights for volunteers.

While useful, the move isn't being seen as a great gesture of charity.

It is unclear how much it will cost the company, but according to a spokesman, as it is the low season many of the seats taken would have been empty anyway.

Anyone in the country who wants to take up a place can apply to their local council for a ticket.

But for those who have been struggling to clean up after the disaster for more than two months this assistance will do little to ease their misery.