France: Famous Riviera beaches hit by oil slicks
Swimmers have been banned from taking the plunge on some of France’s most exclusive beaches after they were polluted by an oil slick.
The crude oil appeared on the Riviera beaches just two days before the start of the famous Cannes film festival, which attracts some 250,000 visitors to the south of France. The beaches at Menton and Roquebrune-Cap-Martin have been worst affected, while investigators have spotted two slicks measuring some 300 metres in length, off the coast between Menton and Monaco.
Floating barrages have been towed out to sea in an effort to stop more of the oil coming ashore. Police have launched a criminal inquiry to try to catch those responsible, initial investigations suggest the slicks were caused by a tanker dumping oil.
