Natural England

MSC Napoli grounding leads to Natural England beach clean at Culverhole, Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliffs National Nature Reserve (NNR).

Natural England staff will assist today (Thursday, 19 April at 1.30 pm) with the huge local effort to help clean the beaches of East Devon following the grounding of the MSC Napoli. They will wear rubber gloves and yellow jackets, fill bin bags with rubbish and help return part of the beach between Axmouth and Lyme Regis – a National Nature Reserve - to its previous high quality condition.

Tom Sunderland, Site Manager for the National Nature Reserve said, “Natural England staff in Devon and Dorset have been working hard since the Napoli was run aground in January, providing environmental advice to help make sure the impact of the ship-wreck on the marine and coastal environments was minimised.

“Now the contractors have completed their work in removing large or polluted items from the beaches, it's time for the volunteers to move in. Local people and East Devon District Council have already done a huge amount of work to clean up the beaches. This day provides an opportunity for Natural England staff to come together and make a contribution to that effort too on part of the Axmouth to Lyme Regis National Nature Reserve (NNR).”

The beach also lies within the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), and the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. The NNR comprises 304 hectares of landslipped cliffs that form the most wild and unspoilt countryside in southern England. The site is also internationally important for the mix of fossils, geological, geomorphological and ecological features.

Notes for editors:

1. Natural England works for people, places and nature to conserve and enhance biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas. We conserve and enhance the natural environment for its intrinsic value, the wellbeing and enjoyment of people, and the economic prosperity it brings.

2. The beach clean will take place on about ¼ of a mile east of Axmouth Harbour between 1.30 and 3.00 pm

For further details please contact:
Paul Wynne (Press Office)
SW Communications Team
Natural England
5th Floor
1 Redcliff Street
Bristol BS1 6NP
Email: paul.wynne@naturalengland.org.uk Telephone: 07900 608 049 fax: 0117 910 2901