MSC Napoli inquiry gets under way

Three controlled explosions split the Napoli in two

An inquiry into the grounding of a container ship off Devon's World Heritage coast has begun.

The MSC Napoli was deliberately beached in Lyme Bay in January 2007 after it was damaged in storms.

Thousands of people from across the UK descended on Branscombe beach to scavenge the contents of 50 containers which washed ashore.

The inquiry is considering whether the protected coastline should be a place of refuge for shipping in emergencies.

Channel storm

It is also looking at salvage and public disorder issues.

The Devon County Council-led inquiry has a dedicated webpage for online submissions during the initial evidence-gathering phase.

Inquiry response packs will also be available to allow people to make submissions via the council's community roadshow vehicle at local events.

Branscombe resident and county councillor Margaret Rogers said: "We feel it very necessary there should be an inquiry to establish what happened, why what did happen happened, and what can be done in the future to avoid the same things happening.

"We do not want to point blame at people, but we do want to try and avoid further trouble," she said.

The inquiry will consider public disorder issues

The Napoli's hull was damaged in a Channel storm off the coast of Cornwall on January 18 last year when it was en-route from Antwerp to South Africa.

Twenty-six crew members abandoned ship and were airlifted to safety.

In the ensuing £50m salvage operation nearly 4,000 tonnes of oil was pumped off the ship and more than 2,300 containers were removed.

After underwater inspections revealed Napoli's hull was too badly damaged to refloat it, explosives were used to split in two.

The container ship's bow section was then towed to a Belfast shipyard for scrap.

Work to remove the stern section is expected to start in April.