A team of 100 workers were today battling to contain an oil spill which threatens shoreline around Poole Harbour – including the millionaire’s playground of Sandbanks – as swimmers were warned to stay out of the water.
Helicopters, drones, vessels and shore patrols responded after a major incident was declared when about 200 barrels of ‘reservoir fluid’ – which contains crude oil – spilled into the body of water from an underwater pipeline.
Around six tonnes (6,000 litres) of crude oil has leaked into the area, with wildflife experts urging Anglo-French oil and gas firm Perenco to ‘take action to clean this up’ and calling for ‘a proper investigation’ to avoid a repeat.
And a dog owner believes his pet was left with badly swollen paws after coming into contact with the pollution yesterday on the shoreline where oily puddles have appeared along with blobs of a black tar-like substance.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said it had received reports of ‘oiled birds’ in the area and although it was too early to fully assess the damage to wildlife, it was ‘very concerned’ about the effect on migrating birds.
The area of the leak is close to Sandbanks, the exclusive peninsula home to Britain’s most expensive waterfront homes and has an award-winning Blue Flag beach that attracts thousands of visitors in the summer months.
Aerial photographs revealed the scale-up of the clean-up, while one picture showed tar on the beach. The area is the world’s second largest natural harbour, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Protection Area.
The UK Health Security Agency warned members of the public that they ‘should not swim in Poole Harbour or the surrounding area until further notice’. The council defined this area as ‘water and beaches within Poole Harbour’.
Stephen Glover and his partner Debbie Haughton with their dog Stella in Poole today. Oily puddles have appeared on the shoreline by Hamworthy Park along with blobs of a black tar-like substance
Thick tar washed up on the beach this morning in Poole following the incident at the harbour
Officials said anyone who has come into contact with the spill should immediately wash with soap and water – and if eyes were in contact, rise them with water.
Conservative MP for Poole Sir Robert Syms said he and South Dorset Tory Richard Drax have asked the Government to take an urgent question in the Commons today.
Environment minister Rebecca Pow told the Commons: ‘Investigations are currently under way to determine the reason for the fault and to make sure that similar incidents are not repeated.
‘I give him absolute assurances that I, as the minister, will be following this very closely to assure that all the correct procedures and the right investigation – which can then inform what we do in future in terms of the regulation and the regulator – is all carried out.’
On the other side of the harbour, oily puddles have appeared on the shoreline by Hamworthy Park along with blobs of a black tar-like substance.
The owners of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier dog believe their pet was left with badly swollen paws after coming into contact with the pollution yesterday.
Stephen Glover, the owner of Stella the dog, described smelling a ‘stink of oil’ similar to a petrol station forecourt before his pet emerged from the water with blackened feet.
Mr Glover, a company director, and partner Debbie Haughton took Stella home and cleaned her up but he said the grease-like substance was very difficult to get off her paws.
Mr Glover, 65, said: ‘I took my dog down to Hamworthy Park as I do every day and there was this stink of oil. It was quite shocking. The smell was like standing on a garage forecourt when there’s been a diesel spill.
‘It was a very obvious smell. I started noticing lumps of congealed oil on the beach. My dog walked through it and it looked like she was wearing black socks it was so thick.
‘We got her home and tried to clean it off her with washing up liquid and baby wipes, but it wasn’t altogether successful. It was like grease, it was really difficult to remove.
‘Her paws were all swollen up and red afterwards so I don’t know if that was a reaction to the oil. I’ve been back down and some of it seems to have gone but I think a big clean up job is going to be needed.’
Peter Robertson, senior site manager at RSPB Arne, which borders the harbour, said: ‘We have received reports of oiled birds in the area and we are monitoring the situation closely.
‘The area is home to numerous bird species such as black-headed gull, Mediterranean gull, redshank and oystercatcher which breed on the coastline, and many other waterbirds which rely on the harbour mudflats for food.
‘There are wintering avocet, black-tailed godwit and curlew still present in the harbour. There may also be a risk to the many birds that fish in the harbour, such as sandwich terns and ospreys.’
Anyone who has come into contact with the spill has been asked to wash immediately with soap and water.
The organisation leading the clean-up of the oil spill today revealed that six tonnes (6,000 litres) of crude oil had leaked into the water.
And bosses at Poole Harbour Commissioners admitted they were ‘completely in the dark’ about the cause of the leak that started at 7am yesterday.
They also revealed that there are two sites being tackled – on opposite sides of the harbour.
One is the main site at Ower Bay, close to the Wytch Farm oil field, and the other is a slick in the Port of Poole Marina, three miles away. The major incident has been categorised as a tier 2 – ‘medium’ – spill and the clean up will be continuing all week.
Jim Stewart, chief executive of PHC, said: ‘The maximum amount of crude oil that went into the water yesterday was six tonnes.
‘Since 7am this morning all teams have been out assessing the shoreline and harbour, undertaking Shoreline Cleanup and Assessment Technique (SCAT). Over 100 people have been involved in these operations this morning.
‘Helicopters, drones, vessels and shore patrols have been out gathering data and feeding it back to our Emergency Response Centre. Aerial footage gathered today suggests that there is a 60 to 70 per cent reduction in oil sightings on the water.
‘Collection of oil from sightings has already commenced and is being recovered to a safe waste recovery site on the port estate.
‘As a precaution, the public should still avoid using the water for recreational purposes and continue to avoid bathing at beaches within Poole Harbour until further updates become available.
‘BCP Council is in the process of putting signage up on the beaches to inform bathers of this. All of these measures are keeping the situation stable.’
When asked about the cause of the leak, Mr Stewart said: ‘We do not have an idea at this stage. Perenco will be doing a full investigation and will share results of the investigation and will share results of the investigation in due course. At this stage we’re completely in the dark.’
The alarming scale of the Poole Harbour oil spill can be seen in the first aerial images of the leak.
Large sheens of oil have appeared on the surface of the water in a harbour inlet which is an important wildlife habit.
Although a team of oil spill responders have laid a 100ft long boom across the inlet, the oily film can clearly be seen on both sides of it, suggesting the leak has not been totally contained.
The scene of the oil leak where workers have placed a boom across the water at Owers Bay in Poole Harbour
Oil workers at the scene at Wellsite D at Owers Bay in Poole Harbour today as the clean-up continues
A general view of the Wytch Farm oil production centre near Poole in Dorset, pictured today
It is feared that almost 5,000 litres of oil from 31,000 litres of reservoir liquid leaked from a pipeline into Poole Harbour, one of the UK’s most important and protected sites for wildlife.
The pipeline runs from the Wytch Farm oil field on the Arne peninsula to Furzey Island, where there are oil wells.
The site is the largest onshore oil field in western Europe, producing 20,000 barrels of oil a day. It is owned by Perenco.
Olivia Parton, 82, a retired chef, said she believes the spill must have taken place on Saturday as she saw a large amount of oil in the sea yesterday morning.
She said: ‘I was walking 10.45am on Sunday and I could smell oil. I then looked out to the water and there were these dots, like 50p coins, of oil scattered everywhere.
‘Then I noticed what must have been a 50ft long, thin strip of oil on the surface.’
The RSPB’s nature reserve at Arne on the edge of the harbour is home to lots of native wildlife, particularly rare birds including Dartford warblers, woodlarks and nightjars.
The important habitat is 565 hectares and has a mix of heathland, woodland, grassland and mud flats.
The reserve has international significance for winter waders and wildfowl. Arne is home to the second largest population of avocets in the UK.
Wildlife conservationists have expressed their worries the oil spill could have on the local bird population.
And Brian Bleese, chief executive of Dorset Wildlife Trust, said the leak could not have happened in a more important place or at a more crucial time for wildlife.
He said: ‘It is very early days but we are very concerned about it, 200 barrels is quite an amount and Poole Harbour is such a special place for wildlife, particularly breeding birds.
‘Sandwich and common terns are arriving in the lagoon area of Brownsea Island and a whole host of wading birds use Poole Harbour.
‘What we will be doing over the coming days and weeks is monitoring all of the areas sensitive to wildlife, patrolling the shore and looking for any signs there may be of contamination of birds.
‘It can matte their feathers and affect their ability to fly and to feed and of course it can poison them.
‘Other concerns that are less obvious is the effect on sealife like bivalve shellfish. It was a mix of oil and contaminated water so although the oil will hopefully disperse that will leave contaminants in the water. That’s less easy to see.
‘We do expect Perenco to take action to clean this up and there will need to be a proper investigation to make sure it never happens again.
‘It absolutely could not have happened in a worse place. Poole Harbour is a very protected environment – an SSSI, a special protection area and a conservation area.’
A local birdwatcher, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was worried about the oil spill on the harbour’s bird population.
The clean-up continues this morning after thousands of litres of oil leaked into Poole Harbour
An aerial view of the clean-up operation at Ower Bay at Poole Harbour in Dorset this morning
Workers in a field during the clean-up operation at Ower Bay at Poole Harbour in Dorset today
An aerial view of the clean-up operation at Ower Bay at Poole Harbour in Dorset this morning
Workers in a field during the clean-up operation at Ower Bay at Poole Harbour in Dorset today
An aerial view of the clean-up operation at Ower Bay at Poole Harbour in Dorset this morning
Workers in a field during the clean-up operation at Ower Bay at Poole Harbour in Dorset today
He said: ‘They are saying it’s a small amount of oil but it can spread over a huge area. It’s a bit like saying the bird is only getting a little bit of cyanide.’
Wildlife charity Birds of Poole Harbour said the incident is ‘incredibly worrying’.
How Perenco chief executive worked his way up the company and lives in Belgravia home
Benoît de la Fouchardiere, 50
The pipeline in question is operated by Perenco, which runs nearby Wytch Farm, the largest on-shore oil field in Western Europe.
The chief executive of Perenco is Benoît de la Fouchardiere, whose LinkedIn profile states he has worked for the company since 1997, and in London since 2016.
The 50-year-old’s previous postings with the company have included roles in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guatemala, Cameroon and Gabon.
He is a graduate of the IFP (Institut Français du Pétrole) School and Grenoble INP – Ense3 in France, and said in a March 2021 interview with The Africa Report that the company’s success ‘makes some people jealous’.
Mr de la Fouchardiere is registered as living at a property in London’s Belgravia within a multi-million pound house split into flats, which are mostly owned by the company’s chairman Francois Perrodo.
The harbour is home to a pair of ospreys which are part of a ground-breaking conservation project trying to re-establish an osprey colony in the south of England.
The male osprey returned to the harbour from West Africa on Sunday morning and will use the harbour as a feeding ground over the coming days.
A spokesman for Birds of Poole Harbour said: ‘Although we don’t know the full extent of the spill yet, the fact it’s happened right in the middle of such an environmentally important area is incredibly worrying.
‘Poole Harbour hosts nationally and internationally important numbers of wetland birds.
‘Right now we’re in that important transition period where our winter birds are leaving, and our summer birds are arriving, many of which use the southern shore of the harbour for feeding, nesting and hunting.
‘The local community have an incredibly strong attachment to the harbour and it’s environment which was highlighted yesterday morning when our male Osprey arrived back safely from West Africa, exciting thousands of people as he landed on the nest seen via a camera we installed this winter.
‘The elation of the male’s safe return home yesterday morning was soon dashed by late afternoon when news of the oil spill was announced.
‘Right now huge numbers of birds are on the move, having over-wintered further south and will soon be using Poole Harbour as a service station to feed up before continuing north.
‘There are several areas of concern. One is that any birds that come into physical contact with this substance can see their feathers damaged and become less water resistant.
‘The substance will also encourage any affected birds to preen constantly, meaning they could ingest the hazardous liquid.
‘The other unknown is how much of the oil will settle on the mud and harbour shorelines and what impact will that have on marine invertebrates.
‘Although thankfully, as of yet there have been no confirmed reports of any birds showing signs of distress as a result of the incident, although it is still early days.’
Dante Munns, the RSPB area manager for Dorset, said: ‘As it is on Poole Harbour, the location is really important as the impact could be massive for conservation.
‘We were quite lucky by the quick response, and it brought together authoritative bodies to deal with the incident. Hopefully the dispersion of the oil is quick.’
Jim Stewart, from the Poole Harbour Commissioners said: ‘We have a huge team, over 60 individuals, who are looking at the harbour.
‘We have helicopters and drones flying across to ascertain how much oil has been released and where it has come ashore.
‘Poole Harbour is one of the largest natural harbours, 10,000 acres, so it is a huge area. We have four separate teams combing the harbour to understand the extent of the spill.’
The Poole Harbour area, as seen from from Hamworthy Park beach, Dorset, where a major incident has been declared after oil leaked from a pipeline into the harbour
Oil workers seen today at Wellsite D at Owers Bay in Poole harbour following a major oil leak
‘Although thankfully, as of yet there have been no confirmed reports of any birds showing signs of distress as a result of the incident, although it is still early days.’
Jim Stewart, from the Poole Harbour Commissioners said: ‘We have a huge team, over 60 individuals, who are looking at the harbour.
‘We have helicopters and drones flying across to ascertain how much oil has been released and where it has come ashore.
‘Poole Harbour is one of the largest natural harbours, 10,000 acres, so it is a huge area. We have four separate teams combing the harbour to understand the extent of the spill.’
Sir Robert Syms, MP for Poole, said: ‘We have a very delicate ecosystem, areas of special scientific interest, we’ve got leisure interest, we’ve got fishing interest and the oil industry co-existed with that for about 40 years and generally speaking operated pretty well.
‘But we’ve always been aware there could be an incident which is why the harbour commissioners and the other authorities have always had a recovery plan in case this happens, fortunately the oil company put its hands up fairly quickly to say that the recovery plan ran into action.
‘I think the preparation that the authority (BCP Council) made in the event of a spill actually proved to work and I think both the oil companies and environment agency fairly quickly. I think everything sort of went to plan.’
Phil Broadhead, leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, said today that the incident was ‘just unacceptable, there’s no other words for this’.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning: ‘When I first heard about this yesterday, clearly I was angry and disappointed.
‘We have the second largest natural harbour in the world here, award-winning beaches, a very delicate ecosystem. So the natural reaction is always to be very worried.
‘From what we are hearing – we’re not the lead agency on this, Poole Harbour Commissioners is, clearly it’s an outside body that runs the facility – it’s a small leak of reservoir fluid, so about 85 per cent water and 15 per cent oil, which was caught fortunately quite quickly. They’ve stopped any further leaks.
‘One hopes at the moment that we have avoided any real disaster here. We won’t know more until this morning but the early indications are already that the surface slick is already dispersing.’
Poole Harbour Commissioners (PHC) has put its oil spill plan into action and also warned the public not to swim in the surrounding area.
The wetlands are recognised as being internationally important for wildfowl and it is an important area for breeding and overwintering water birds.
Just outside Poole Harbour, Poole Bay is a Marine Conservation Area. The seabed features ten types of habitat and is home to more than 360 marine species.
Mr Broadhead added: ‘As soon as the oil or any of the material gets ashore, that’s when everything becomes much more difficult and has the bigger ecological effects as well.
An aerial view of the clean-up operation at Ower Bay at Poole Harbour in Dorset this morning
Workers in a field during the clean-up operation at Ower Bay at Poole Harbour in Dorset today
An aerial view of the clean-up operation at Ower Bay at Poole Harbour in Dorset this morning
An aerial view of the clean-up operation at Ower Bay at Poole Harbour in Dorset this morning
Workers in a field during the clean-up operation at Ower Bay at Poole Harbour in Dorset today
‘In these circumstances you ideally want it out to sea and dispersing as quickly as possible.
‘We’ve got experts coming in this morning through the lead agency on this to assess further, so we’ll know more shortly.
‘But what we are urging people in the area at the moment is just to stay out of the water, no recreational activities, and if you do get in contact with water, just to wash with soap and water.
‘But we’re not talking huge amounts, terrible though this is, and we are hoping and keeping our fingers crossed that this will disperse quickly.’
The area is close to Sandbanks, the exclusive peninsula that is home to Britain’s most expensive waterfront homes and has an award-winning Blue Flag beach that attracts thousands of visitors in summer.
An aerial view of the clean-up operation at Ower Bay at Poole Harbour in Dorset this morning
Workers in a field during the clean-up operation at Ower Bay at Poole Harbour in Dorset today
An aerial view of the clean-up operation at Ower Bay at Poole Harbour in Dorset this morning
Workers in a field during the clean-up operation at Ower Bay at Poole Harbour in Dorset today
An aerial view of the clean-up operation at Ower Bay at Poole Harbour in Dorset this morning
The pipeline is operated by Perenco, which runs nearby Wytch Farm, the largest on-shore oil field in Western Europe. The leak happened under Ower Bay.
The pipeline was turned off and floating barriers known as booms were placed either side of the leak.
Dr Fay Couceiro, a pollution expert from Portsmouth University said: ‘Any large oil spill is a concern to the environment but I was hopeful that I have heard it seems to be under control and there is no further leak and the oil spill response plan has gone into effect.
‘The sheen on the surface of the water is the lighter fraction of the oil, that will disperse over a few days, disperse and turn into gas. That’s good news because that part is quite toxic so that has quite quick negative impacts on wildlife.
‘The longer term concern is the heavier parts of the oil which sink down to the bottom, it goes sticky and likes to get into the sediment.
‘That can stay for many years and tend to be more carcinogenic. That could have a negative impact over time for many years.’
Poole Harbour in Dorset is pictured yesterday after a large pipeline leaked into the water
The RSPB Arne nature reserve in Poole, pictured yesterday, near where the leak occurred
Roads to the coast near Norden in Dorset were closed yesterday amid the major incident
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council told people to avoid swimming in the harbour
Steve Harding, who has a boat at Salterns Marina in the harbour, came into contact with some oil yesterday. He said: ‘It was definitely noticeable, there was a significant amount of oil on the water.
‘We’ve been very lucky here that we’ve not really suffered this type of event before. I’ve been in and on the water for a decade and have never seen anything like this before, it is unusual.’
And Garry Connell said: ‘I was windsurfing in the harbour yesterday afternoon at the back of round island and it stank of oil.’
Members of the public have so far heeded the warnings to stay out of the water. There was no sign of anybody in the sea at popular Branksome Beach this morning.
Only a handful of dog walkers and the occasional jogger could be seen on the sand and promenade.
One walker, who wished to remain anonymous, said his friends who were swimmers had decided against entering the water amid safety warnings.
The area is the world’s second largest natural harbour and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Anyone who has come into contact with the spill should wash with soap and water
Poole Harbour Commissioners warned the public not to swim in the area until further notice
The man in his 40s said: ‘My swimming friends all know about it (the oil spill).
‘I always walk along here on a Sunday and Monday morning and there are normally 20 to 30 people in the water swimming but not today. I’ve not seen anyone.’
Shore Beach in posh Sandbanks, another popular spot for sea swimmers, was empty today. Windsurfers have also heeded official warnings to stay out of the water.
A spokesman for the Watersports Academy in Poole said: ‘We have been staying out of the water and following the advice of the Poole Harbour Commissioners.’
Perenco and PHC have commissioned two companies specialising in oil spill incidents to help with the clear-up.
In a statement PHC said: ‘PHC have activated their oil-spill plan and are working with a number of organisations. A major incident has been declared and a gold command unit has been established.
The RSPB Arne nature reserve in Poole is just around the corner from where the leak occurred
The millionaires’ playground of Sandbanks sits very close to where the pipe leaked in Poole
‘We would advise members of the public that they should not swim in Poole Harbour or the surrounding area until further notice.
‘Anyone who has come into contact with the spill should wash immediately with soap and water. If eyes have come into contact with the spill they should be rinsed with water.’
Franck Dy, Perenco UK’s Wytch Farm general manager, said: ‘Any spill is an extremely serious matter and a full investigation will be launched to ascertain what happened in Poole Harbour.
‘It is important to stress that the situation is under control, with the discharge of fluids having been stopped and the spill is being contained.’
The firm confirmed a clean-up operation was under way.
An Environment Agency spokesman said: ‘We have received reports of a large amount of oil in Poole Harbour and we are supporting the port authority and other partners in responding to this incident.’
