Hundreds of toy animals washed up

Sea conditions were too rough for the containers to be recovered

Hundreds of wrapped animal toys have been washed up along the Sussex coast.

The pet toys - said to include dogs, reindeer, red-legged turkeys and pink hippopotamuses - were spotted at Selsey Bay, West Wittering and Climping.

They are part of a cargo of 60,000 toys, worth £100,000, lost when a ship shed four containers in rough seas on its way to Southampton on Monday.

The Shropshire firm which ordered the toys said locals could keep one each and give the rest to animal charities.

'Really surreal'

Rosewood Pet Products said it could help make Christmas a good one for dogs and cats in rescue homes and shelters in the Solent area.

A spokesman for Solent Coastguard said: "It's been really surreal dealing with calls from people who have seen these hippos."

He said many more toys from the containers, which were on the Bunga Pelangi vessel, are expected to be washed up in the coming days.