A MYSTERIOUS oil spill is killing seabirds off the coast of north and east Kent, according to local wildlife groups.

Jean Hendry, of The Seabird Network, has received reports of oil-covered birds flying around Folkestone harbour, oil on rocks along the beach and oil-covered birds sitting on the rocks.

There have also been reports of several dead Gillimot and Razor Bills birds on the shore from Whitstable to Dungeness. Gulls and Black Headed Gulls have been found covered in oil.

"We know there's oil out there somewhere," said Mrs Hendry. "But we don't know where it's coming from. Some of the affected birds are deep sea birds who do not usually come ashore here, so we have no way of knowing where they've caught the oil."

Mrs Hendry has spoken the coastguard and says she was given a chart position for the oil, which had been viewed from spotter planes. She said: "Maybe it's coming from the sunken Tricolour. There are 2,500 cars on board, each with a gallon of petrol, engine oil and battery acid.

But coastguard Mike Painter insisted there was no oil other than that which was to be expected in a busy shipping lane.

"We always have little patches of oil and the south west winds we've had may have brought more in," he said. "All we can see is lots of black seaweed, and we've spotted one seagull covered in that."

Owen Leyshon, of the Romney Marsh Countryside project, verified Mrs Hendry's suspicions and said he had had reports of oil covered birds since last Thursday. "There's great uncertainty about the source though," he added.