The Marine Accident Investigation Bureau has published a timber deck cargo study following a number of incidents in British waters.

The bureau said eight ships carrying timber were involved in accidents between 2001 and 2002, including the Maltese-registered Kodima which ran aground at Whitsand Bay, Cornwall last year spilling thousands of tonnes of timber.

The study said ships must be prepared to change course to avoid storms, that wires holding timber must be checked regularly to ensure they have not slipped, and that cargo should be jettisoned only as a last resort, and only ever by remote control.