Kodima wreckers escape charge

Most of the wood was used in houses in Cornwall

People who salvaged timber from the stricken cargo ship Kodima a year ago will not have to pay for the wood.

The vessel went aground in Whitsand Bay after tens of thousands of wooden planks washed overboard and onto the shoreline.

The wreck proved a lucrative sideline for some local farmers who hired out tractors to haul timber up the sheer cliffs.

With their help most of the wood was used for fencing, decking or flooring in houses across Cornwall.

Timber galore

Afterwards, the government's receiver of wrecks logged dozens of tip-offs from locals revealing where the planks had ended up.

Under the Merchant Shipping Act, anyone failing to declare a find faces a £2,500 fine.

A spokeswoman said all reports had now been investigated and about 100 claims had been filed.

But the cargo's insurers have now waived their ownership rights to timber recovered by individuals.

They have concluded it is not worthwhile to collect it all and pay the salvagers a reward.