Spilled bitumen debris washes up on coastline

Southend Against Sewage said its members found a black tar-like substance on beaches across Essex, from Thurrock to Clacton-on-Sea

Bitumen that spilled into the River Thames has washed up on parts of the Essex coastline.

About 23.7 tonnes (23,700kg) of the material was accidentally released from FM Conway, a commercial operator, on 17 August, the Port of London Authority (PLA) said.

The leak attracted criticism from campaigning group Southend Against Sewage, which accused the PLA of not alerting the public soon enough.

A spokesperson for FM Conway, said the company was "working closely with the Port of London Authority, the Environment Agency and their expert partners on the clean-up operation, as well as supporting the Environment Agency while it carries out its investigation".

The company confirmed the "bitumen spill occurred at our terminal in Gravesend".

The Environment Agency, which is said to be leading the investigation, has been contacted for comment.

Favoured for its waterproofing, bitumen is often used to pave roads and in other construction projects.

Sir John Whittingdale, the Tory MP for Maldon, said changing weather conditions led to debris being found along the coast, from Thurrock to Clacton-on-Sea.

Various pieces of material have been found along the coastline

Alex Haider, from Southend Against Sewage, was swimming at Thorpe Bay on 28 August when she discovered "black tar on the beach".

After posting a video on Facebook, people from across Essex contacted her to say they had found the same thing.

"We realised that it was a bigger problem than we first thought," she said.

Her campaign group believed local councils were only informed about the spillage at the end of August, despite it taking place two weeks earlier.

"Keep in mind the beaches around the estuary were busy with beach users," Ms Haider added.

On social media, Tendring District Council urged people not to pick up the debris.

The PLA said it notified local councils of the spill "on day one"

The PLA said it began a clean-up operation "as soon as we were notified of the spill", adding this remained ongoing.

"From the outset, our priority was to contain and recover the material as quickly as possible," a spokeswoman said.

"Expert advice confirmed there isn't any risk to public health; although we advise members of the public to avoid touching the bitumen themselves, so that it can be cleared up by specialists."

The spokeswoman insisted "local authorities were informed on day one" and that the situation was being monitored.