Timber From Russian Ship Washes Up on U.K. Beach

LONDON – Authorities say more than a thousand tons of timber knocked off the deck of a Russian cargo ship are washing up on the English coast.

Piles of wooden planks cluttered beaches in southern England Thursday.

Beach-goers walked amid chaotic clusters of sawn timber in Ramsgate, about 75 miles east of London. In one location, someone spelled out the word "welcome" with the wood.

Heavy waters washed the timber from the deck of the freighter Monday morning. The ship was on its way to Alexandria, Egypt, when it was caught in foul weather. The vessel is currently docked in the port city of Southampton.