THOUSANDS of unopened plastic water bottles have washed up on beaches along the coast.

The bottles have been spotted on beached across Sussex – as far apart as Worthing and Hastings.

The bizarre phenomenon may be related to a similar event on the shores of the Channel Isalnds in February, when an excess of 5,000 unopened water bottles appeared on the beaches of Jersey, Guernsey and France.

It is thought that the mystery cargo came from a shipping vessel that spilled four containers overboard in the English Channel on February 16, causing the bottles to be washed up a few days later.

Members of litter-picking group Keep Lancing Lovely spotted the bottles on Lancing beach on Sunday.

The Argus: Thousands of unopened plastic bottles wash up on Sussex beaches Thousands of unopened plastic bottles wash up on Sussex beaches

After posting on social media, several members of the public arrived to help with the clean-up.

Keith Stainer, a member of Keep Lancing Lovely, said: “It wasn’t just the bottles, it was lots of string, raffia and cable ties too.

“I stayed for about two and a half hours putting it in bags. It was all hands-on pump.”

Oranges have also reportedly washed up in Pevensey.

Among the debris, five dead birds have also been spotted, including gannets – a species not usually found in Lancing.

“That was quite upsetting to see,” Keith added.

It is not yet known whether the bottles on the Sussex shoreline are from the same cargo ship, or if more items are expected to wash up.

The Argus: Thousands of unopened plastic bottles wash up on Sussex beaches Thousands of unopened plastic bottles wash up on Sussex beaches

“It’s a shame it wasn’t like that film Whiskey Galore,” Keith said.

Pictures from the scene show thousands of plastic bottles being placed in bin bags by workers.

Last year, a nurse was astonished when she found a 50-year-old washing up liquid bottle washed up on a beach.

Sammie Aplin was carrying out her daily beach clean when she spotted the Fairy Liquid bottle on the pebbles by Brighton Palace Pier.

The bottle was partially destroyed, but its distinctive branding remained “remarkably” intact.

Sammie, who lives in Waterloo Street, Hove, says she looked up images of Fairy Liquid through the decades and matched it to bottles dating back to 1970.