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Plundered cargo from stricken ship on eBay
Last updated at 10:41am on 23.01.07
Goods plundered from a cargo ship beached off the Devon coast are starting to appear on internet auction website eBay.
Ten steering wheel airbags brazenly advertised as coming "from the MSC Napoli" were being offered for bids today.
The seller writes: "BMW steering wheel airbags recovered from the beach at Branscombe, Devon. Not sure if they work or not but expensive to buy new." Already the page has attracted hundreds of hits from potential buyers.
Dozens more items are expected to be added to the eBay site within days.
Hundreds of people have gathered on the beaches to stake a claim to millions of pounds of goods which spilled ashore from the ship's containers on Sunday.
Last night scavengers used firelight to search for more booty, carrying off shoes, carpets, beauty cream and perfume. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency described the spectacle as "like a scene from Mad Max", and said the beach was littered with debris.
The contents of about 40 containers were washed off the stricken 62,000-tonne vessel when she was grounded a mile off the beach and in danger of breaking up.
Police have closed Branscombe to all visitor traffic and shut its beach roads in an attempt to stem the flood of visitors.
Reader views (6)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
Pity the poor poor people whose personal possessions (being shipped to and from their homes by container) have to see on the tv and fronts of newspapers them being pawed over by a bunch of thieving low-lifes.
- Karl, London
Think it's wonderful to see the poor and needy get vital provisions. Anyone want to buy 400 tonnes of disposable nappies?
- Alfie, London, UK
Personally I think they are thieves, whether they can get away with it by filling in a form doesnt make it right. I hope the idiots whose mugshots appeared on the front pages of most publcations yesterday get what they deserve.
- Helen F, Kent
Tony and Cherie Blair led the way with Britain's new "something-for-nothing" mentality, and now ordinary people are following their example...
- English Rose, Lewisham Londonshire
Aren't these people aware that they are not entitled to sell the goods salvaged from these containers? Don't they realise that they could land up in court or be slapped with a hefty bill for compensation?
The goods don't belong to the scavengers, there are rules governing salvage. I sincerely hope tht police and insurance companies are keeping a watchful eye on these eBay sellers.
- Katherine, Aviemore Scotland
Tony and Cherie Blair led the way with Britain's new "something-for-nothing" mentality, and now ordinary people are following their example...
- Ollie, London
