A shipping company which allegedly caused palm oil to wash up on the beach has gone on trial.

Pretty Time Shipping is accused of letting the yellow lumps wash up on to East Wittering and West Wittering beaches, and the shore in Hayling Island, Hampshire, on January 11.

Tests showed the lumps were linked to a tanker called Pretty Time, Southampton Magistrates' Court was told yesterday.

Pretty Time Shipping, which is based in Singapore, denies making an illegal discharge into the sea.

An investigation by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency discovered the tanker had off-loaded a cargo of palm oil and had been anchored off the Isle of Wight.

Prosecutor Oliver Wilmott told the court the ship had been having problems cleaning its tanks and pipes after discharging palm oil in Rotterdam, Holland, and Hamburg, in Germany.

He said lumps of palm oil had been found by investigators on the ship when they went on board a few days later.

The prosecution alleged scientific tests linked the substance found on board with the yellow lumps of wax washed on to the beaches.

But defence barrister Ian Lawrie QC told the court that slop tanks on the tanker had plenty of spare capacity for waste material.

The trial continues.