Sea birds caked in oil have been found along the Tendring coast.

The guillemots have been coming in at a rate of about one a day since last week, when the first birds were found at Jaywick, Clacton and Harwich.

Now one environmentalist has said she thinks this number could be the "tip of the iceberg".

Rosie Catford, of the Wildlives animal centre at Thorrington, has been taking in and cleaning the victims.

She said: "I really think this is just scratching the surface. For every one found there are perhaps hundreds which have been killed."

Many of the birds had massive internal injuries caused as they frantically tried to clean themselves, she said.

Miss Catford said: "They try to preen themselves but just end up swallowing the oil and causing themselves more damage - liver damage, massive internal injuries.

"Many of the ones we have had come in are also suffering from hypothermia because they lose all their insulation."

Although the Environment Agency has been informed there has been no confirmed sighting of an oil slick at sea.

Miss Catford said: "I suppose it could have just been a ship clearing out its tanks, but it is having a devastating effect."

Once they are cleaned at Wildlives the birds will be sent to a specialist RSPCA cleaning centre in Norfolk.

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