A 10-MONTH operation to recover containers washed ashore along West Dorset's coastline from the MSC Napoli was finally completed today (Thursday October 11).

Salvage workers landed the last section of container at West Bay, ending the most treacherous phase of the entire project.

A 10-strong team from D V Howells, the Maritime and Coatguard Agency's incident response unit in charge of the Napoli clear up, have spent the past week trying to remove the container from the beach at Golden Cap, and recovering the plastic car parts it contained.

Dangerous rocks on the seaward approach to the beach and falling cliffs made the task especially hazardous.

Team leader Peter Walker said: "Because of the dangerous conditions we could not use the big landing craft like we did elsewhere to collect the container so we have had to cut it into pieces and make several trips in a RIB to remove them with a flotation bag bit by bit.

"The cliff had fallen and crushed the container and we had to go in very carefully to cut the sections off - 10 pieces in all."

Mr Walker sand his men have been working on the clear up between Branscombe and Lulworth Cove since January and this was the last piece, having collected some 10 containers in all.

They salvaged everything from car parts to bottles of shampoo, although little was worth much after being in contact with the sea, added Mr Walker.