Napoli towed away for recycling

The stern section of the MSC Napoli will be cut up on site

Salvagers are preparing to tow part of the stricken cargo ship MSC Napoli from Devon to Belfast for recycling.

The damaged ship, which was beached off Sidmouth in January, was split in two after a series of explosions.

The stern of the ship remains grounded but the bow section is expected to be towed to a Belfast shipyard where it will be broken up.

A Maritime and Coastguard spokesman said it could be towed this week but they needed a five-day weather window.

Storm damage

The bow will be towed by a coastguard tug around the Cornish coast to the Irish Sea.

Tenders have been received for the disposal of the stern section which will be dismantled offshore and the metal recycled.

The ship was split cleanly after a series of explosions carried out by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Ministry of Defence.

The salvage operation has cost more than £50m.

The MSC Napoli was damaged in storms while sailing from Antwerp to South Africa.

The 62,000-ton vessel was carrying about 2,300 containers, of which about 100 went overboard and 58 were washed ashore, leading to a scavenging and looting spree.

A large boom has been positioned to catch any oil which may leak from the vessel.