BARROW council is actively working to recover the costs of more than £1,100 to remove a sunken car from a popular Furness beach.

Barrow Borough Council went through an abandoned vehicle procedure to be able to remove a Renault Megane car that was stranded at Earnse Bay beach, on Walney, for more than two and half weeks.

Those who use the beach had expressed concern about the vehicle leaking fuel and oil, the impact that it would have on wildlife, the safety of beach goers and general blight on the landscape. 

Alan Barker, street care manager at Barrow Borough Council, said the car wreckage could not be moved until the authority had go through the procedure of working with Broughton Estates, who owns the sands, and the vehicle owner.

Natural England, which runs the North Walney Nature Reserve, next to Earnse Bay, had raised concerns and spoken to the council. 

Once authorisation was given Furness Cars and Commercials were brought in. At low tide the company used an excavator and off road recovery tractor to dig the car out and then remove it from the beach.   

Barrow council was involved in getting the car removed as Earnse Bay is an amenities beach. 

Mr Barker said the removal has cost tax payers, but that it will reimburse the money from the car owner.  

Warning other motorists against driving onto the sands, Mr Barker said: "People are putting their lives at risk by taking cars on the beach. 

"The main reason we removed the car was because it was on an amenities beach. 

"We will recover the cost of the vehicle removal from the owner. We are actively working to recover the costs. 

"We will pursue all costs for removals." 

The vehicle and a boat had got stuck at Earnse Bay on May 23. Emergency services were called to the beach just after 10.20am that day. Two men, aged 70 and 31, were safely on dry land when the police and fire crews arrived at the scene. It is understood that a tractor was used to try to remove the car when it first got stuck.