OIL washed up on a Westcountry beach is being tested to see

if it came from the wreck of the MSC Napoli.

Black patches on the sand at Sidmouth, East Devon, reignited

fears that the remains of the cargo ship grounded off the

coastline could still damage the environment.

But East Devon District Council said experts had advised

that it was unlikely the spillage had come from the Napoli,

which was grounded in January last year to avoid it breaking up

at sea.

A council spokesman said: “While the Napoli remains off the

East Devon coast, she will always be number one suspect for any

oil spillages. However, oil washed ashore can come from many

different sources.

“It is fortunately a fairly rare occurrence, thanks to

strict enforcement of pollution regulations and a responsible

attitude from the majority of ship operators.”

Agencies involved in the Napoli operation helped with the

spillage clean-up.

East Devon District Council checked the state of the beach

and arranged for warning signs to be positioned at key

points.