THE CRANES are in place and work will begin any day on salvaging the last of MSC Napoli from beneath the waves off Branscombe beach.

THE CRANES are in place and work will begin any day on salvaging the last of MSC Napoli from beneath the waves off Branscombe beach.

On Wednesday, Hugh Shaw, the Secretary of State's Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention, was on site to see the operation get underway.

Trial lifts have been performed and 12 giant chains and 24 hoists will be used to lift the remains of the 62,000 tonne container ship, including a 1,400 tonne engine.

"Mr Shaw agreed the method statement and wanted to have a look from a visual perspective," said Fred Caygill of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

The recovered remains will all be scrapped.