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YOU CAN HELP: Roy Blackburn holding an oiled bird on Chesil Beach

A LIFE-SAVING appeal for spare sheets and towels was made today by the RSPCA to help them treat oiled seabirds and wildlife being washed up along the Dorset coast.

Readers and listeners are being urged to take old sheets and towels to several Dorset Echo and Wessex FM collection points in Weymouth, Dorchester and Bridport.

The RSPCA is battling to co-ordinate rescue attempts for seabirds being oiled by spills from the stricken 62,000 tonne container ship Napoli which was run aground off the Devon-Dorset coast after a storm.

Staff are being stretched to the limit and so are supplies of materials such as towels and sheets being used to help protect or clean and dry wildlife.

RSPCA senior animal collection officer Roy Blackburn has been working at an initial collection point at the Chesil Beach Centre between Weymouth and Portland and was delighted at the support from the Echo and Wessex FM.

He said: "This is fantastic news, brilliant, a very generous gesture."

He said that 250 oiled seabirds were caught on Monday, another 120 on Tuesday and more than 100 more yesterday (wed) but that four or five birds were eluding rescuers for every one they were able to help.

He added: "It would not be surprising if more than 2,500 birds have been affected by these oil spills. That is entirely possible.

"Our operation along the Dorset coast went on all day yesterday (wed) and we are particularly grateful to all the volunteers who have come forward to help us find and bring in oiled birds.

"The birds we have been able to catch are being taken to our West Hatch centre near Taunton which is struggling to cope with the numbers coming in, so some birds have been sent to another centre at Hastings in Sussex.

"If people can offer us spare towels and sheets then that would be invaluable."

West Hatch manager Rupert Griffiths said they had been overwhelmed with offers of help. They now had all the volunteers they needed, he said, but would welcome donations of towels and sheets to help dry birds or donations of cash to help the RSPCA.

The Environment Agency said that about 900 guillemots and 200 gulls have already washed ashore while the death toll also includes kittiwakes, dolphins, conger eels and numerous species of fish.

More than 100 local people volunteered their time yesterday (wed) to help National Trust staff and contractors clean up Burton Bradstock beach.

A Trust spokesman said they were beginning to make inroads but that further east, at their Cogden and West Bexington coastline, live and dead birds were still being washed up.

Weymouth's RSPB Radipole and Lodmoor reserves manager Nick Tomlinson directed one helper with an oiled guillemot and then said: "Oiled birds are still coming in and we will need to keep watch for several days."

He also urged people spotting oiled birds not to try and capture them but to call the RSPCA helpline because otherwise the birds would try to escape into the sea and be in a worse situation.

Dorset Wildlife Trust staff and volunteers have been helping rescue oiled birds and marine conservation officer Peter Tinsley said "This is a serious incident and could still get much worse.

"There are still 3,500 tonnes of oil on board which need to be removed urgently along with the remaining containers, before stronger winds return and potentially start to break the ship up".

Early results from the Environment Agency, which has tested beach samples including ones from Lyme Regis for 165,000 different manmade chemicals, showed that the coastline has so far escaped pollution from pesticides and chemicals carried on the Napoli. Tests yesterday (wed) on samples from Seatown, Eypemouth, West Bay West, Burton Bradstock and Abbotsbury also proved negative.

Police swept the shoreline early yesterday (wed) to clear all people from Branscombe Beach which has seen chaotic looting of BMW motorbikes, perfume, nappies and numerous other goods from the Napoli which was run aground off the Devon coast after a storm.

Divers had to seal an engine room vent which leaked two and a half tonnes of heavy fuel oil but this was contained and successfully dispersed by aircraft spraying, said the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

Oil from the Napoli's tanks is being pumped clear at the rate of 28 tonnes per hour. She carries 3,500 tonnes and the operation is not expected to be completed until at least Wednesday (jan31) of next week while it could be a year before the Napoli is completely removed.

Many items from the cargo ship have already appeared on auction site eBay but one seller took trading to its limit by offering for sale a "genuine" shell from Branscombe Beach. It has "some wear and tear" and the seller wants a starting price of £10!

The eBay site has now started to remove Napoli items offered for sale after being approached by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency who explained that the sale of such items breached shipping or theft legislation.

Anyone finding an oiled bird should call the RSPCA 24-hour helpline on 0870 5555 999.

Readers and listeners can take their spare towels and sheets to Echo offices on Weymouth's Granby Industrial Estate or in St Mary Street, the Bridport News offices in East Street or the Wessex FM offices in Trinity Street, Dorchester.

4:37pm Wednesday 24th January 2007

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