Hundreds of people looted containers on Monday from a stricken ship that leaked oil and lost some of its cargo after it was run aground last week off southwest England.

The container ship MSC Napoli lies on its side off the coast in Lyme Bay, southwest England, on Sunday. The coast guard estimates that nearly half of the deck cargo has come loose.
(Alastair Grant/Associated Press)

About 40 containers washed ashore at Branscombe Bay on the Devon Coast. Police warned the looters to stay away, but many made off with everything from cars to diapers, perfume to motorbikes.

"The last 48 hours have pretty much been a free-for-all," CBC News correspondent Adrienne Arsenault said Monday.

Police are not charging people, who are obliged to contact the government and report what they've found. Arsenault said most are not.

"Most people here are pretty much operating under the old ancient principle of 'finders keepers,'" she said.

Meanwhile, crews went on board MSC Napoli on Monday, preparing to pump oil from the French cargo ship in hopes of stopping more of its fuel from spilling into the sea.

The ship, which was deliberately beached during a storm last Thursday near Sidmouth, England, has leaked about 200 tonnes of heavy fuel oil mixed with water. About 100 birds are believed to have been contaminated by the spill.

Officials said the ship is carrying about 2,400 shipping containers, 200 of which are thought to have slipped into the sea.

The crew of 26 abandoned the ship and were rescued by helicopter about 72 kilometres off Lizard Point in southwest England. The ship was damaged during the storm, with cracks in its hull on both sides of the engine room.

The crew deliberately beached it to keep it from sinking in deeper waters. The spill is near an area of British coastline designated as a World Heritage Site.

Salvage underway

Paul Coley, spokesperson for the British Maritime and Coast Guard, told CBC News early Monday from Sidmouth that the salvage operation is underway.

Crews will heat the oil first, then pump it off the ship. Later, they will salvage the containers on board, using cranes to remove the cargo.

Coley said crews encountered difficulty on Monday connecting heating systems on board, but he said he thinks the pumping will likely take place on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

"The fuel needs to be taken off the ship. That's the first priority," he said.

(CBC)

Coley said crews have identified the contents of 63 containers that have slid into the water, some washing up on nearby beaches.

Some of the containers contain dangerous goods. Three containing battery acid and perfume products have washed ashore.

Police handed out forms on Monday to the looters, asking them to report what they salvaged so police can keep track of items taken from the cargo.

Coley said it appears that many people are not filling out the necessary forms and an attempt will be made on Tuesday either to secure the cargo or to move it off the beach.

Coley said the environmental damage from the wreck could have been much worse. The oil, which he said is primarily old engine fuel, has left a sheen on the sea, soiling the shoreline for about 12 kilometres.

"There's been a minimal effect at the present time, compared to the effect had the ship gone down in the English Channel," he said.

Crews will not try to contain the spilled oil, he added.

"It's too thin to recover from the surface of the sea and it will naturally dissipate. There is no further leaking from the ship, so everything is under control."

The 16-year-old London-registered 62,000-tonne cargo ship was last inspected in May 2005, when officials determined that it was seaworthy.

Groups concerned

Environmental groups expressed concern on Monday about the impact of the spill on the local coastline, which includes a World Heritage Site that covers 150 kilometres of coast from East Devon to Dorset.

The ship is aground near Lyme Bay, an area rich in marine habitat. Its coastline has been called the Jurassic Coast because the geology dates back millions of years.

Melissa Moore, senior policy officer for the British Marine Conservation Society, said in a news release: "If the vessel had been properly constructed and maintained, it should not have suffered structural defects, despite the storm conditions last week, so something has gone wrong in either the design, repair or maintenance of this vessel.

"Most likely this is due to its previous damage, which was either not properly repaired, or was so substantial the vessel was irreparable."

The Marine Conservation Society said it is specifically concerned about the effects of the oil spill on birds and marine mammals in Lyme Bay, the pollution from the substances inside the lost containers and the marine litter from the metal containers as they break up in the water.

With files from the Associated Press