It's white, illegal, and washing up in unusual quantities on the beaches of Cornwall and south Wales. Cahal Milmo reports

The seas around Ramsey Island off Pembrokeshire are justly renowned for dramatic vistas and plethora of wildlife from porpoises to puffins. So it was natural that when Beth Swan and her husband spotted a large floating object on one of their wildlife excursions they would speed towards it in the hope of catching a glimpse of a diving seal or of removing debris endangering animal life.

Last week the trial opened in Cork of three Britons charged with trying to ferry the £350m of cocaine found off the Irish coast last July from a catamaran to shore. The court heard that the gang, who had allegedly spent months planning the operation, mistakenly put diesel in their speedboat's petrol engine and were cast adrift in stormy seas.