Oil leaking from stricken cargo ship aground on Welsh coastline

A STRICKEN cargo ship that ran aground in rough seas, sparking the rescue of seven crew, has leaked a “small quantity” of oil into surrounding waters, the Environment Agency said.

But the main fuel supply for the boat, which hit rocks near Colwyn Bay in North Wales on Tuesday night, is still thought to be intact, the Marine and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said.

Oil which was in use at the time has seeped out of the 82-metre long vessel and environmental officers are working to remove safely the 40,000 litres of fuel from the ship.

The impact of the oil leak is expected to be “minimal”, Environment Agency Wales said.

An MCA spokeswoman added that the ship sustained damage to its starboard side.

Two lifeboats and Royal Navy and RAF helicopters were involved in the rescue of the seven Polish crew members after the vessel got into difficulties as the Welsh coast was battered by gale force nine winds and five-metre swells.

Five of the seamen were rescued by a Royal Navy Sea King rescue helicopter scrambled from RNAS Prestwick.

But the aircraft developed a problem with its winch wire, forcing rescue co-ordinators to send out a second helicopter from RAF Leconfield in Yorkshire to collect the remaining two crew members.

The seamen were taken by ambulance to North Wales Police headquarters in Colwyn Bay where they were given hot drinks and a change of clothes and transported to a nearby hotel, said North Wales Police.

The ship, which is registered in Antigua and Barbuda and was carrying a cargo of stones, was last night resting against concrete blocks on the beach at Llanddulas, which runs adjacent to the road.