Solong Stena Immaculate North Sea collision: Vacuum used to recover nurdles washed up along coast following ship collision
Thousands of plastic nurdles washed up on beaches in the east of England following a tanker collision in the North Sea are being recovered by workmen - using vacuum cleaners.
The tiny plastic pellets have come from the crash between the Stena Immaculate and the cargo ship Solong which collided off East Yorkshire on March 10.
However nurdles are still be found along the Norfolk coast and the National Trust have said they remain 'deeply concerned' over the impact to wildlife.
The Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk has now employed a waste management contractor to clean up the beaches using a specialist vacuum device.
Nurdles are non-toxic balls of plastic resin used in plastics production which can cause harm to wildlife if ingested.
The council said the vacuum would operate along Brancaster, Titchwell and Holme to Old Hunstanton in Norfolk this week.
Borough Councillor Sandra Squire said: "Our cleanup teams have done an incredible job removing some of the bigger burnt nurdle masses but this machine should help as we move to the next phase of our beach cleanup of this pollution.
"I would like to remind our residents that, although nurdles are not toxic, they can present a risk to wildlife if ingested."
Victoria Egan, General Manager for the National Trust, added: "We remain deeply concerned about the long-term impact of this plastic pollution on the Norfolk coast and its wildlife, which could continue to be washed up for weeks and months to come.
"Any pollution incident can have a devastating impact on wildlife and this is a vital time for many migratory birds as they return to our shores for the breeding season, as well as marine life including seals and fish."