Thousands of chips wash up on popular beach
A sea of uncooked chips has washed up on a beach near Sussex, marking the latest in a slew of strange produce washing up on British shores.
The bizarre mess has been weeks in the making, after 16 containers fell from a ship during rough seas off the Isle of Wight during December.
As well as the chips – many still in their plastic bags – the rough seas also washed-up polystyrene packaging, onions and disposable face masks.
In a post to Facebook, the East Sussex County Council urged members of the public to take extra care when visiting the coastline.
Stay informed, daily
Australian Marine Debris Initiative founder Heidi Tait has said the issues could continue for some time.
“When we lose shipping containers, not all of them float to the surface or burst open. It can be months or even years before they break up under the water and release their contaminants or the items that they’re carrying,” she said.
Hundreds of volunteers have taken it upon themselves to clean up the rubbish washing up on the beaches every day, but there remains no clear end in sight.
The French fries are the latest produce to wash ashore, with dozens of bananas littering another beach last week.
