North Tyneside Council attempting to recover costs of clearing timber shipment washed up in Whitley Bay

The local authority sent out teams and equipment to recover the logs, scattered across the beach in Whitley Bay on the morning of December 13, 2023.

The logs, onboard the ship Scot Explorer, had been en route to Dover from Scotland by sea.

However, the vessel hit stormy weather off the coast of Blyth and lost the timber overboard. The Scot Explorer subsequently docked in Sunderland to secure its remaining cargo.

The logs were cleared soon after they came ashore and were disposed of at the behest of the cargo’s owner.

North Tyneside Council is now in the process of pursuing reimbursement from them.

The owner of the Scot Explorer, shipping firm Scotline, had previously stated the responsibility for the clear up and collection of the timber lay with the owners.

The company went on to say it had assisted the local authority with a “quick recovery and disposal” of the timber.

Neither North Tyneside Council nor Scotline have divulged the owner of the timber. In addition, the cost of the clean-up could not be confirmed.

Whitley Bay councillor John O’Shea said: “This incident happened before Christmas so clearly there was a need for the council to act quickly on this for the safety of the residents and naturally this would have incurred a cost. I am pleased the council is acting prudently in asking for a contribution from the owner of the cargo.”