Lego piece’s 21 years at sea

A PIECE of Lego from a container swept off a cargo ship near Cornwall 21 years ago has been found on a beach in Cumbria.

The plant-shaped toy, pictured, is believed to have been one of 4.8million pieces lost when the Tokio Express ship was struck by a freak wave in February 1997, throwing 62 containers overboard.

Many of the pieces were sea-themed, and since then brightly coloured octopuses, scuba tanks, plants and flippers have been washing up on Cornish beaches. Experts say this piece could have drifted as many as 62,000 miles before ending its journey on St Bees beach near Whitehaven, hundreds of miles from where it began.

Members of environmental group Colourful Coast Partnership, who found the piece, say it illustrates how marine litter floats around for years, posing a risk to wildlife. Project officer Sophie Badrick said: ‘It just goes to show that plastic in the sea doesn’t decompose or go away.’