Final Napoli salvage due to start

The salvage work should be completed by August

The operation to salvage the final section of the wreck of the MSC Napoli off the Devon coast is re-starting.

Three crane barges have arrived at the site, near Branscombe, while other equipment should be in place by 1 June, when work is scheduled to begin.

The 62,000-tonne container ship was deliberately grounded in January 2007 after her hull was damaged in a storm.

The remainder of the stern, including the 1,400 tonnes engine, will be removed and taken to a scrap yard.

£50m salvage

Most of the vessel, which was broken up using explosive charges, has already been salvaged.

A spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: "What's left is the end piece of the Napoli from deck level down to the hull, which is underwater.

"There will be tests taking place. If they're successful then lifting and cutting will start."

He said it was anticipated the work would be completed by the end of August and an exclusion area around the wreck would remain in place until then.

The work is being carried out by newly appointed salvage company Global Response Maritime.

The total estimated cost of the salvage operation is £50m.

The Napoli was en-route from Antwerp to South Africa, with 2,400 containers on board, when its hull was cracked during a storm off the Lizard.

Its 26-strong crew were airlifted to safety by Royal Navy helicopters and the decision was made to ground it to try to prevent damage to the Jurassic coast, a world heritage site.

When 50 of its containers washed ashore at Branscombe, thousands of scavengers flocked to the beach.

A public inquiry found the "looting mayhem" could have been avoided and recommended a police commander role be created to co-ordinate agencies dealing with the aftermath of similar incidents in future.