Floating Hatch Cover Could Have Caused "Catastrophic Damage" To Ships In Channel

A hatch cover weighing 25 tonnes, which the Coastguard say could have caused "catastrophic damage" to a small ship, has been recovered from the Channel off Dover.

The Coastguard emergency towing vessel Anglian Monarch recovered the hatch cover which was floating in the busy Dover Strait.

The floating hazard off Dover was reported to the Coastguard by a passing vessel on Tuesday and the Anglian Monarch was sent to locate and recover the object. Anglian Monarch is now alongside at Folkestone and if operations permit, it will be landed and stored at Folkstone.

If any organisations are aware of any such loss they are asked to contact the Maritime and Coastguard Agency Counter Pollution and Response Branch Telephone 02380 329525 or email toby.stone@mcga.gov.uk.

The cover is approximately 12 metres square and has an estimated weight of 25 tonnes. It appears to be in good condition with the wheels and several cleats free and can be turned by hand. It is not clear if it is a fore-aft hatch or an athwartships as the hatch seems to be a centre section of three or possibly four.

This would be consistent with a fore-aft layout but it is hard to see how it could have fallen over the side if this were the case. There is evidence that a grain cargo was being carried according to Anglian Monarch crew and judging by the size of the cover it is estimated to be from a vessel approaching 70,000 tonnes, if not bigger.

Toby Stone, MCA Head of Counter Pollution said: "This hatch cover had to be removed from the busy shipping lanes and would certainly be capable of causing catastrophic damage to a small vessel like a yacht and could even damage the hull of a larger vessel if hit at speed."