Beach oil clean-up across Thanet will take ‘several days’

Beaches in part of Kent remain closed as a major clean-up operation continues following the discovery of oil deposits along the coastline.

Thanet District Council said a “significant” amount of oil was found on 18 beaches on Wednesday, prompting widespread closures.

Clean-up crews began work on Thursday, with residents, especially dog owners, being urged to avoid the affected areas.

Mike Humber, the council’s director for the environment, said the operation would “take several days” but could not provide a timescale for reopening.

He told BBC Radio Kent that contractors were on site using specialist equipment to remove the oil and were cleaning up as quickly and carefully as possible.

“The tide comes in and out twice a day and we have to continue to assess and determine see where the oil is, and deploy resources where it’s most needed,” he said.

He explained the weather could affect the spread of the oil droplets.

“[On Thursday] we had strong winds and it blows the sand across the oil and makes it more difficult to spot.”