In pictures: Shipwreck timber

Thousands of pieces of timber have been washed up on beaches across southern England after cargo ship the Ice Prince sank off the Dorset coast.

The Greek-registered vessel was carrying more than 2,000 tonnes of sawn timber when it got into difficulties in a storm and its crew was forced to abandon ship.

Timber from the ship drifted 100 miles through the channel. The 10m (33ft) lengths of sawn wood washed up several feet deep on the beaches.

Coastguards said the timber stretched from Littlehampton in West Sussex to Beachy Head in East Sussex.

Worthing beach was closed to allow heavy machinery to remove the washed-up cargo.

Barriers and cordons were erected along the beach and an urgent plea was issued to windsurfers and canoeists over concerns that the floating wood could cause an accident.

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