By Jon KellyThe sleepy Devon village of Branscombe was overrun by scavengers in January when cargo from a stricken ship washed up on its beach. The intruders may be long gone, but the community is still coming to terms with its brief moment in the world's media spotlight.
The narrow lanes may now be quiet and the beach clear of eager-eyed incomers hunting for spoils.
But Branscombe feels as though is has been turned on its head by a sea gale and then dropped again.
In January, scavengers spent two nights swarming through its streets to plunder the Napoli's containers of everything from BMW motorbikes to packets of cat food.
'Just indecent'
For the 523 villagers left behind, those hours still loom large.
"For us, this was a siege situation"
Margaret Rogers, Branscombe's local county councillor, tells of the damage inflicted - the looted gardens, the broken fences, not to mention the litter and debris still being cleared from the beach.
Over a mug of tea in the front room of her cottage, her quiet fury at the invaders who shattered her village's calm is still raw.
"I've never seen such an unsavoury lot in my life," she grimaces. "I didn't get the impression that most of them were thugs in the beating-people-up-sense, but the manner in which they took over the village was just indecent.
"For us, this was a siege situation. A lot of elderly people in the village were terrified."
'Hoo-ha'
But the hordes who came to the beach were not all outsiders. Far from it.
Jamie Wardrop, 25, from nearby Sidmouth, was one of the first on the scene. With the help of two friends he managed to get hold of a BMW motorbike, which is now stored in a secret location.
He bristles at the notion that he was some kind of barbarian invader. His very British brand of scavenging was, he assures you, done entirely by the book.
"I've not had one person from round here have a go at me. Everyone tells me, 'Good on you,'" he says. "I made sure I filled in all the forms for the Receiver of Wreck's office.
"If they tell me to give it back, fair enough. But if not, you can hardly blame me."
In all, 17 motorcycles were taken from containers washed up off the wreck - 13 have been reported to authorities, and last week police seized two in east Devon.
If Jamie was careful to stay on the right side of the law, Pc Steve Speariett has every cause to be grateful. Branscombe's own community police officer admits the village has yet to recover.
"It was a short interval of bedlam and anarchy, but it only lasted 24 hours"
"This is the sort of place that people normally come to enjoy peace and quiet. It's happy to be a backwater," he says.
"So after the hoo-ha has died down, the visitors all go away - but the villagers are left behind feeling dazed."
Not everyone in Branscombe is hostile to the scavengers, however.
Retired archaeology professor Barbara Farquarson, 67, is more philosophical about the experience - even though she had three wheelbarrows and a wheelie bin stolen from her garden.
"I saw a bloke wheeling a barrow down to the beach and I thought, that looks familiar," she frowns. "At the same time, though, I think there were a lot of grey areas. Where does legitimate hunting end and looting begin?
"It was a short interval of bedlam and anarchy, but it only lasted 24 hours. I'm glad I was part of this amazing historical moment."
'Double-edged'
The beach itself is not yet clear - although clean-up efforts have been redoubled in the hope that the east Devon coastline will be back to normal for visitors over the Easter weekend.
"It still doesn't feel like we've got our village back"
And there's no doubt Branscombe's name is on the map - a point that hasn't escaped John Bass, community council chairman, who had condemned the scavengers "vultures" on the day they first descended.
His view has ever so slightly softened.
"It's been a double-edged sword - it's put us on the map, so we might attract more tourists," he admits. "But with the massive beach clear-up, it still doesn't feel like we've got our village back yet."
Looking back, postmistress Rosina Knowles, 62, is also sanguine about the experience. Business actually picked up during the scavengers' brief reign.
"They were all tired and hungry from trundling their barrels up the hill, so they'd pop in here for a roll and a soft drink," she recalls.
It will take Branscombe a while longer yet, it seems, before it can allow the scavengers to fade from memory.
We went to Branscombe on Sunday and there were loads and loads of people there just to see the wreck - the cafe and car parking were doing a roaring trade so I don't see why the villagers should be that upset.
Stuart Graves, Portsmouth
My family and I went to nearby Beer for a beach walk a few weeks ago and were shocked to see the devastation on the usually beautiful Jurassic coast. There were two men there from the official clear-up team, walking up and down the little inlet, collecting all manner of plastic crud from the shoreline. We couldn't help but grab a few huge plastic sacks and do our bit. We cleared up car and bike parts, nail varnish holders, dozens of oranges and even more sadly, an array of clothes. Not new ones, clearly old ones, loved and packed for an onward journey to a new life. This eclectic melange of objects was sickeningly interspersed with dead marine life. If you have nothing to do in the next few days, stuff the official stance that the clear-up's almost done - grab a bag and do your bit.
Tracey Smith, Somerset
The debris from the ship is being found on beaches in Hampshire. I have found things on the beach at Barton on Sea. Some shampoo bottles covered in oil were found as well as candles and lots of drift wood.
Linda
In the past local people would have benefited from the booty of wrecks, but strangers from distant parts would not have joined in the fray. My family come from the area of Anglesey known as the coast of thieves, plundering of wrecks was part of their lives. Men from the community were responsible for deliberately luring a vessel onto the shore and three men were hung. When I saw the scenes of the wreck plundering, it made me very circumspect.
Bob Hughes, Newcastle upon Tyne
Every year, we enjoyed visiting Branscombe and its pub in March as part of the Grizzly 20 mile cross-county endurance race from Seaton. We were very disappointed to learn about the cancellation of the race this year due to the Napoli events. Branscombe and the surrounding area is a beautiful place and during our own "invasion" the runners were always made to feel very welcome. I hope it gets back to normal as soon as possible.
Oliver Wright, Oxford
Branscombe is so beautiful. I have been holidaying there since 1958 when we used to stay in an old caravan on a farm at Watercombe, and later in chalets on the beach. I have been reading all reports with interest and sincerely hope that the lovely beach can be returned to its former desolate beauty. I should imagine it's been a real time of mixed blessings for the community and has given them something to talk about for years to come. Best wishes to all residents of Branscombe.
Sheila, Bournemouth
I holiday near to Branscombe annually. The shipwreck was upsetting to see but not as upsetting as those scavenging on the beach. I look forward to returning to Branscombe at Easter and hope us genuine tourists get the usual warm welcome from the locals who's lives have been so harshly affected by the minority.
Paul Abrams, St Helens
I think a clean-up crew should have been coordinated, and the lot gathered to later be bid on by the interested parties, the monies received offered then to the communities that the ship lost its load to in order for them to recover from the clean-up efforts that would be required. Maybe the ones that benefited by coming to retrieve the articles of value will show the same passion for the restoration of the villages they inadvertently pillaged in the process of their good fortune.
Earl Cole, Anchorage, Alaska
Why are the English scavengers and not looters. The next time the BBC covers a story abroad that involves people taking property not belonging to them, will they be looters or scavengers? Surely the scenes at Branscombe cannot be compared to a rubbish heap in Manila from which the poor scavenge.
Andy, Great Malvern
Easter will be a big test as people visiting the area may put the beach on their itinerary out of curiosity. I hope them a speedy descent into obscurity - such that the villagers can reclaim their quality of life.
Igor Griffiths, Lincoln
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