Thousands of bananas washed up on a beach after more than a dozen shipping containers toppled overboard from a cargo ship.

Sixteen containers fell from the vessel off the coast of the Isle of Wight on Saturday (December 6), the coastguard confirmed - sending fruit onto the shoreline.

Officials said the owners of the ship - the Baltic Klipper - are now responsible for recovering the lost cargo.

Eight containers were packed with bananas, two with plantain, one with avocados, and five that were empty.

Stunned beachgoers were met with the unusual sight as two of the crates - smashed apart by waves - drifted ashore at Selsey, West Sussex, where police quickly erected a cordon.

Pictures taken by RNLI volunteer Harry Emmence, 35, show one of the containers ripped apart near the coast, with debris scattered across the beach.

He said: "We could just see them drifting in and slowly getting closer, before they broke up."

"There were bananas flying everywhere!"

"My kids were very interested - it's not something you see everyday."

Coastguard rescue teams from Selsey and Littlehampton, along with West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and Sussex Police descended on the scene - urging the public to stay away.

A spokesperson for the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) said: "No crew members were injured and the containers are carrying non-hazardous cargo."

They added: "The public are reminded that all wreck material found in the UK has to be reported to HM Coastguard's Receiver of Wreck."

"Those who fail to declare items within 28 days are breaking the law and may have further action taken against them."