Warning over 'tar balls' washing up along Merseyside and Lancashire coast after oil spill

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Visitors to beaches in the North West have been warned about 'tar balls' washing up on the coast following an oil spill.

Around 500 barrels of oil - just under 80,000 litres - leaked from a pipe into the sea near to North Wales.

Authorities in Lancashire and Merseyside are now warning that it may wash up on shorelines in the form of small balls of tar.

People are being told not to remove them from the beach if they come across the balls, which have already been spotted in Blackpool.

Visit Blackpool said in a statement: "We have been made aware of an offshore oil release off the North Wales coast.

"Some small tar balls have since been spotted on Central Beach between North Pier and Central Pier.

"Due to tidal conditions and a forecast of extreme weather conditions, there is a possibility of more washing up.

"Our beaches will mostly be chained off due to high tides and storm force winds during this time, and we ask that people avoid these stretches to avoid any contact.

"Do not attempt to remove any tar ball deposits. Instead, please call 01253 477600 to report any suspected incidents."

Green Sefton said they also expect to see some deposits on Merseyside beaches and they are working with partner agencies to make sure contamination is 'minimal.'

Gordon White, Green Sefton countryside officer, told BBC Radio Merseyside: "It's difficult to say what it might look like but it's likely to be these sort of tar balls that kind of hang in the water and gather bits of material.

"It may be difficult to identify but at the moment we're yet to see any. We don't know until it arrives."

It comes as extreme weather hits the North West and other parts of the UK, with Storm Dudley battering the region with strong winds.

The Met Office has