Debris from damaged shipping containers continues to wash up along parts of the West Sussex coastline, with residents describing significant disruption to beaches and concern for the local environment.
The banana container debris has been arriving with every tide since 16 containers fell from a cargo ship off the Isle of Wight on Saturday. Plastic, foam insulation and bananas have been reported across several coastal locations, prompting volunteer clean-up efforts and an official response from local authorities.
Dozens of residents have taken part in clearing beaches in West Sussex. The impact has been most visible at Selsey, where foam insulation was found covering sections of the sea wall and shoreline. Residents said the banana container debris left beaches resembling a scene of “carnage” and described the water as “polystyrene soup”.
Councils confirmed that a contractor has been appointed to manage the clean-up operation in Selsey, Pagham Harbour and Bognor Regis. Members of the public have been advised to avoid affected areas.
Donna Tretheway, from Selsey Beach Litter Ninjas, said around 50 volunteers spent three hours cleaning the beach on Monday. She said: “It’s literally carnage. We completely cleared a half-mile section of beach.
“But it’s all back again with the next high tide.”
Ms Tretheway said she was frustrated by the limited visible response from authorities. “There are mixed emotions,” she said. “Heartbreak because of the scale of the problem.
“Anger at the lack of response. And pride because the community has stepped up incredibly well.”
Concerns have also been raised about potential long-term environmental effects. Wildlife cameraman Mark Sharman, from Selsey, warned of a “serious ecological disaster” if the banana container debris is not removed quickly.
On Facebook, he wrote: “I know the official advice is to leave it to the contractors to clear up, but the longer the foam is left, the smaller it will become, turning into microplastics, which will remain in the ecosystem.
“So time is of the essence to stop it from being a permanent pollutant.”
Damage to coastal defences has also been reported. Gavin Jones, whose garden backs onto Selsey beach, said containers repeatedly struck the sea wall overnight. He said: “Throughout the night, we heard it crashing against the sea wall. There are a few scratches.
“It’s knocked out a few posts of groynes.”
He added that beaches were “strewn with rubble” and that the sea was “like polystyrene soup… all floating on the top”.
Workers from council contractor Ambipar were seen at Selsey on Monday. West Sussex County Council, Arun District Council and Chichester District Council said the firm would lead the clean-up and was placing skips at affected sites.
Authorities confirmed that 11 of the 16 containers from the cargo ship Baltic Klipper have been located. Seven were found at Selsey, two at Pagham Harbour and two at Bognor Regis.
People have been urged not to consume any fruit washed ashore and to avoid the beaches due to the risk of metal fragments. Councils said it was not yet clear how long the clean-up would take.
The Environment Agency said it was “closely monitoring the potential impact of the incident to wildlife and water”.
