Ibiza marine park 'safe from oil'

Some Ibiza beaches have been polluted by the oilspill

Spanish authorities say they have prevented oil from a freighter that ran aground off the holiday island of Ibiza from reaching a nature reserve.

Absorbent barriers are now in place to protect the Ses Salines reserve, a sanctuary for migratory birds.

A clean-up operation is continuing on three Ibiza beaches which were closed last week after oil came ashore.

The freighter Don Pedro hit rocks and sank last Wednesday, with 150 tons of fuel oil and diesel on board.

Spain's El Pais reports on its website that volunteers have removed about 100 tons of polluted sand from the affected beaches.

The three closed beaches are Talamanca, Figueretes and En Bossa.

A private firm is working to extract the remaining oil from the ship.

Ibiza is renowned for its buzzing night life and beaches, attracting thousands of holidaymakers - many of them British - every year.

Spanish Public Works Minister Magdalena Alvarez played down the pollution threat at the weekend, saying "there is practically no slick" and predicting that the beaches would be cleaned up "within days".