SCA has confirmed that timber on board the Ice Prince, which sank on Tuesday in the English Channel, had come from its mills.
The company said it had sold 4,600m³ of sawn wood to a Swedish customer who had been in the process of shipping it to Egypt when the vessel got into difficulty off the coast of Dorset before sinking. It is not yet clear whether timber from other suppliers was also on board.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) estimated that the Ice Prince shedded about 2,000 tonnes of its timber deck cargo before sinking.
The Receiver of Wreck has authorised police on the south coast to act on its behalf when timber from the sunken Ice Prince washes ashore.
MCA officials expect the untreated wood in various lengths to reach land between the Dorset/Hampshire border and East Sussex.
MCA warned that beach scavengers failing to comply with the authorities will be in breach of the law and liable to a £2,500 fine or arrest in line with the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.
The decision was taken at a meeting convened by Hugh Shaw, the secretary of state’s representative for maritime salvage and intervention, which was also attended by police, salvors and the ship’s owners.
