In detail: The Sea Empress disaster

Initially the oil slick started to head westwards towards the island bird reserves of Skomer and Skokholm, but a change in wind direction took most of it into Carmarthen Bay and the Bristol Channel.

The beaches of the popular holiday resort of Tenby were left covered in a heavy smothering of emulsified oil.

More than 200 people worked night and day to repair the damage and by Easter the sands were open again to tourists.