Plans to dredge notorious ‘ship swallower' sandbank condemned

Removal of millions of tonnes of material from Goodwin Sands, the watery grave of hundreds of ships in the English Channel, would make a mockery of marine protection pledges, critics say

Six miles off the coast of Deal, in Kent, lies Goodwin Sands, a 10-mile sandbank known as the ship swallower". Seals bask there at low tide, belying its reputation as one of the most treacherous spots in the Channel and a graveyard for centuries-old shipwrecks, as well as downed aircraft from the second world war.

Now the site has become central to another battle, by conservationists and campaigners, to safeguard Britain's seas from damaging activities and to hold the government to account on its 30 x 30" pledge to protect 30% of marine habitats by 2030.