The Scavengers

[Si Hunt]

Armed with bags and a sense of adventure, hordes of beachcombers have been descending on the sands at Branscombe in Devon.

But this army of scavengers is not searching for shells or beach wood.

Instead, its eager members are hoping to take home some of the richer pickings offered by the stricken cargo ship MSC Napoli.

The 62,000-tonne vessel is grounded about a mile out at sea, and has shed a total of 103 containers.

Forty of those have so far offered beachcombers an array of goods.

Barrels of wine, shoes, hair care products, beauty cream, steering wheels, exhaust pipes, gearboxes, nappies, foreign language bibles and BMW motorbikes have all been washed up on the pebbled beach.

And, ignoring advice to stay away, hundreds of people have been helping themselves to the thousands of pounds of free goods on offer.

"We don't normally have this sort of stuff happening down here, but you know...grab what you can," an excited hunter said.

"We've got some engine parts and some BMW engines - and we've all been helping together in unloading them really," another said.

"It's not often you get to see a wreck like this - take some pictures - see what people are around - it's just more of an adventure, more than anything else."

Author Richard Platt, who is behind the website smuggling.co.uk, said the scenes were reminiscent of the days when Branscombe was a notorious landing place for smuggled goods.

He added: "Everybody wants something for nothing. Everybody loves beachcombing, a walk down the beach hoping to find something valuable.

"It does not seem to them to be a crime, to them it is finders keepers."

Coastguard Seamus McCaffrey was trudging the length of the beach advising people they must notify the Receiver of Wreck of their finds.

For the loot to be classed as legal, a special form has to be returned to the Receiver's office in Southampton within 28 days.

One local woman, who was salvaging carpets for the home she is decorating, said she had taken the advice on board and would be filling in the required form.

"I am going to declare them," said the woman.

She added: "People should be able to be allowed to take what they like. It is clearing up the beach, and it is part of the beach culture."

Ho, ho! "Beach culture"!

It's quite romantic really. A bit of an adventure! Like in ye olden times! It's beach culture! Or is it just SHAMELESS THEFT!

What do you all think?

Si.

[Pip Madeley]

Miss Trudy Goodwin thinks they should leave the stuff alone. It's stealing.

She said this in a Cockerney accent.

She then told me to "SHAT ARRRRP!" and went off to get jellied eels.

[duncan]

They are not doing anything illegal if they take the forms from the police and declare what they are taking. Good luck to them I say.

Finders Keepers.

[Si Hunt]

But it must belong to someone surely? If the roof of your house blew off and all your possessions were hurled into the road, would you agree that "finders keepers" then?

Si.

[Captain Tancredi]

Presumably the legitimate owners of the goods are insured for their loss and will be claiming for them. If the items are water damaged they'll be written off anyway- as per the carpets, engines and so on. There's no way BMW are going to let an engine into one of their cars if it's been in sea water.

Growing up near the coast, you get all sorts of bits and pieces washed up, including a lot of sailing tackle. Presumably it all belongs to somebody, but you don't think about it.

[Milky Tears]

I was going to start a thread about this yesterday, but I would've ended up sticking "They should be shot!" at the bottom of the post.

[Paul Monk]

I think the forms they filled in are to record whose taken what. As I understand it, this doesn't entitle you to keep your booty but will entitle you to some sort of reward for its return.
Anyway the shipping firm has fenced the beach off now and put security there.

Oh and I didn't think Trudi had a cockney accent!

[Si Hunt]

The last point is a bit academic, as these are items which are in crates, so presumably it wouldn't be too hard to trace the owners! It's a bit different to an old shoe or something being washed up randomly.

But your point about insurance and water-damaged goods is a good one, I hadn't thought of that.

Si.

[duncan]

But it must belong to someone surely? If the roof of your house blew off and all your possessions were hurled into the road, would you agree that "finders keepers" then?

Si.

No I would not, as that would be classed as looting.

It's all to do with sea laws and those laws state that all items washed ashore from wrecks etc must be declared to the authorities and the person removing them must be prepared to give up the items to the rightful owner. If they follow those guidelines and sign a declaration for the goods they are removing, they can then take them legally. The police were handing out the declarations on the beach up until this morning, so it cant be illegal.

[Paul Monk]

It may be legal but do we think its morally right?

[Si Hunt]

No I would not, as that would be classed as looting.

As this has been!

It's all to do with sea laws and those laws state that all items washed ashore from wrecks etc must be declared to the authorities and the person removing them must be prepared to give up the items to the rightful owner.

So are the people who nicked the nappies going to not use them in case the owners want them back?

Incidentally, "The Scavengers" sounds like a great title for a Doctor Who story. I've added it to my list of great-sounding potential story titles!

Si.

[WhiteCrow]

I don't think theres anything wrong with it to be honest. I see it as just salvaging.

In olden days of course whole villages would often lure ships to the rocks to pilfer their goods.

Silly me though I thought they were getting away with BMX bikes, not BMW ones ...

[Ralph]

From the latest BBC reports:

"Anita and Jan Bokdal's possessions were being transported on the MSC Napoli from their native Sweden to South Africa, where they have bought a wine farm. They were horrified to see pictures in the media of their belongings, including photographs and family heirlooms, being emptied on to the beach. She said the police should have done more to stop the looters.

"For me it's stealing our things....as far as I know the police should have been there in the beginning and stopped this. The law must do something about it, " said Mrs Bokdal."

I really feel for these people, it must be heartbreaking. I can't believe this looting should have been allowed to take place. If the UK survived the yob society image last week.....

As for these people signing papers and so forth, and pigs might fly!

It's theft as far as I'm concerned. Get the looters shot on sight like in the movies!

[Si Hunt]

In olden days of course whole villages would often lure ships to the rocks to pilfer their goods.

Let's bring back hanging and symphalis too!

Si.

[duncan]

To the letter of the law, it is not theft or the police would not have been handing out salvaging declarions on the beach.

So are the people who nicked the nappies going to not use them in case the owners want them back?

If they do not give the items back when challenged, than can face a hefty fine.

"For me it's stealing our things....."

In the eyes of the law it is not.

Look, I'm not defending what is happening, I am just stating that it is not against the law to salvage.

[Paul Monk]

It's theft as far as I'm concerned. Get the looters shot on sight like in the movies

Well maybe some of the greedy swines will be contaminated by some of the nasty toxic stuff that was said to be on the boat.

[Ralph]

Look, I'm not defending what is happening, I am just stating that it is not against the law to salvage.

Says Duncan posting from an Devonshire internet cafe

[Ralph]

Well maybe some of the greedy swines will be contaminated by some of the nasty toxic stuff that was said to be on the boat.

Yeah what happened to all those health and safety regulations?...is that not a reason in itself to ban this lootathon plus all the potential toxic pollution these scabby people are causing as well

[duncan]

Says Duncan posting from an Devonshire internet cafe

rumbled! How did you know?

[WhiteCrow]

It's theft as far as I'm concerned. Get the looters shot on sight like in the movies!

According to the news, it's only looting if it's done by black people, otherwise it's "collecting supplies" ...

http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feat...rsy/index.html

[Pip Madeley]

Very interesting, WhiteCrowUK... an obvious prejudice from Associated Press...

[WhiteCrow]

Very interesting, WhiteCrowUK... an obvious prejudice from Associated Press...

I guess in our case, anyone with a hoodie will be a looter, anyone with a tweed jacket and wellies will be "valliantly helping the beach cleaning operation".

Actually I can just see it now. A load of long haired hippies turn up.

"We've come to help revive the sea birds devestated by this ecological dis ... oooh is that a BMW Motorbike? F*** this, I've always wanted one."

"But Dave you hate motorcycles, they poison the ecosphere."

"P*** off"

[Pip Madeley]

[Dave Lewis]

Incidentally, "The Scavengers" sounds like a great title for a Doctor Who story. I've added it to my list of great-sounding potential story titles!

Si.

I didn't read this thread at first because I thought it was the title of a Doctor Who story, some crappy Big Finish audio or something. I only had a look when I realised it was in the 'General' forum. I was hoping the thread was still vibrant and full of life, but it seems a bit washed up now....

[Larry]

what ever you say it's stealing plain and simple these items do not belong to these people so they have no right to take them but it dose makes you wonder why the police did not secure the area sooner to prevent all these people from taking things.