CONCERNED councillors are waiting to hear from the Government about the risk to Dorset's treasured coast from a wrecked oil tanker.

Members of Dorset County Council's cabinet raised their fears in a letter to the Government, members of the European Parliament and county MPs.

Their action came after the oil tanker Prestige spilled tens of thousands of tons of fuel when it sank off the Spanish coast late last year.

Patches of oil have washed up on the coast of southern France, but Dorset councillors fear legislation introduced after the disaster could hit the county rather than oil spills.

Cabinet members said: "Spain, Portugal and France decided to prohibit single-hulled tankers more than 15 years old carrying crude oil from passing within 200 miles of their coasts.

"Although it was not clear whether this was legal, the European Union transport commissioner was supporting it."

Cabinet members fired off letters amid concerns that ships would cheat the new laws by sailing up the Channel closer to England to avoid the exclusion zones.

They said: "It appeared that the most likely effect could be to force such ships to enter the English Channel from the west rather than the south west.

"Thus, this would increase the amount of shipping passing close to the English coast and heighten the risk of collision and possible oil pollution."

The Prestige ran aground late last year and was towed out to sea where its hull cracked and tens of thousands of tons of fuel spilled into the ocean.

The disaster left parts of the north west Spanish coast drenched in oil and sparked calls there for government resignations.

Members of Dorset County Council's cabinet heard that there had been no reply from the Government to their letters when they met on January 8.

The update comes before the committee meets on January 22 to discuss the county council's role and financial contribution to the draft of the development plan for the heritage coast.

The development plan should form a cornerstone to help protect the coastline.