Appeal after stricken birds found

Dozens of birds have been found covered in oil in recent days

Walkers who find birds covered in oil on beaches on the South East coast have been urged to call the RSCPA.

Kent County Council said it expected birds to be washed ashore overnight and on Friday morning along with timber from the cargo ship Ice Prince.

Twelve swans covered in oil were rescued at Littlehampton, Sussex, while other injured birds have been found at Selsey and Hove in recent days.

Officials have yet to prove a link to the ship which sank off Dorset.

Dungeness and Folkestone

A spokeswoman for Kent County Council said: "We are expecting more of the timber to come up on the Kent coast this evening and in the morning, as a result of the sinking of the Ice Prince, and the birds to follow that.

"It is most likely to happen between Dungeness and Folkestone."

She added: "We would like to warn people not to try to pick them up or touch them or try to take them to the vet but to call the RSPCA immediately."

A Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) spokesperson said the Ice Prince engine space contained 423 tons of intermediate fuel oil and 123 tons of marine diesel oil, still intact.

Trevor Weeks, of East Sussex Wildlife Rescue, thinks sailors have taken advantage of the stricken ship by illegally cleaning their engines where it sank, a wildlife rescue service.

The Greek-registered ship went down about 26 miles (42km) off Portland on 15 January.

Some beaches along the south coast of England remain shut after 2,000 tonnes of timber from the ship washed ashore.

The beaches, from the Sussex coast at Ferring as far east as Hastings, have been closed to prevent looters helping themselves to the wood, which is several feet deep on the tide line.

A salvage operation is being carried out by contractors authorised by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).