Natural England

Latest information on the situation with the MSC Napoli cargo ship, which was beached off the Devon coast in January 2007:

Now that all of the cargo has been removed from the vessel, the next priority has been what to do with the ship itself. The Napoli was re-floated for an underwater inspection last week and the divers' assessment was that the ship could not be towed away.

Since the inspection, the vessel has been deliberately beached again and the stern is in a stable position with the bow still attached. The bow still floats, therefore work is underway to separate the two sections of the ship (the bow and the stern) and deal with them individually.

Once the bow has been separated, it will be moored nearby until final arrangements for disposal are in place.

The stern will have to be dismantled in-situ and Natural England will remain actively and supportively involved, advising Defra and DfT on the best methods to limit the inevitable environmental pollution involved with disposal of both the bow and stern.