Warning as timber washes ashore

Members of the public are being urged not to try to salvage timber that has washed up along Scotland’s east coast.

The cargo vessel Frisian Lady lost around 200 timber bundles during severe weather on March 2 while 110 nautical miles east of Souter lighthouse, off the South Shields coast.

Much of the timber was recovered at sea, but the rest of the timber packets – measuring between 2.5m and 3m long – broke up into individual planks.

They have now been reported as washing up on beaches between Eyemouth in the Borders and as far north as St Andrews.

Chief Inspector James Jones, of Police Scotland, urged people not to attempt to salvage any of the timber themselves.

He said: “Some areas of our coastline can be dangerous, with strong tides, deep water and rocky areas.”

Failing to report wreck material that has been recovered is a criminal offence.