Every year, hundreds of sea birds are washed up on the shores of Sussex suffering from oil pollution.

Although every effort is made by bird lovers to save them, fewer than one per cent of oiled birds survive.

Some oil spillages are caused by collisions, such as the one a year ago which caused immense damage off the coast of Brittany in northern France.

But most are caused by ships washing their tanks illegally, particularly during Christmas and New Year when they think they can get away with it.

Substantial fines are imposed on guilty shipowners but they are rarely imposed because catching the culprits is hard.

If only the captains of these ships could see the carnage they caused to sea birds, some of them might think twice before polluting the Channel next time.