Editing Wrecking (shipwreck) (section)

=== Britain ===
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2008}}
Wrecks were frequent in [[Devon]] and [[Cornwall]] where the rocky coastline, and strong prevailing onshore winds helped wreck many merchant ships and warships.

In 1735 a law was passed to make it an offence to make false lights, but no one was prosecuted as a result. In 1753 the co-called Wreck Act made unauthorized wrecking a felony punishable by death.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nmmc.co.uk/publication/the-unlucky-wrecker-william-pearse-of-st-gennys-cornwall/|title=The Unlucky Wrecker: William Pearse of St Gennys &#124; NMMC|date=September 28, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://academic.oup.com/book/44049/chapter-abstract/371933786?redirectedFrom=fulltext|title=Validate User}}</ref>  In 1769 William Pearse was hanged at [[Launceston, Cornwall|Launceston]] in Cornwall for stealing from a wreck.<ref>[http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/cornwall.html Death sentences – Cornwall 1735–1799]</ref> It was not until after a case in the Court of Appeal in 1870 that rewards were made for rescuing people.

Wrecking was a major industry in the 19th century, and as far back as the 16th century, especially of ships returning from the New World using the [[Gulf Stream]], which passes by the south west of England. This would help to speed these ships on their way to France and Spain and put them out of position. Wreckers would attempt to frighten off the curious, suspicious or unwanted visitors, by spreading wild rumours concerning supernatural activity, ghosts and cannibals (as told about in [[Clovelly]]) near their wrecking sites.{{fact|date=October 2022}}

Wrecking was a major activity of the inhabitants of [[Stroma Island]] in the [[Pentland Firth]] off the north of [[Scotland]]. It was also well known on the [[Goodwin Sands]] off the south east of England where over 2000 wrecks have occurred. The boatmen of [[Deal, Kent|Deal]], who took supplies to ships at anchor off the coast, would plunder any wrecked vessel. Another area where wrecking was prevalent was the [[Wirral Peninsula]], near [[Liverpool]], where wrecking continued to be reported into the early twentieth century.<ref>http://www.wirralhistory.net/smugglers.html ''Wirral Smugglers, Wreckers and Pirates'' by Gavin Chappell</ref>

A 2005 BBC documentary, [[Coast (TV series)|''Coast'']], successfully replicated the conditions of false light wrecking in an experiment which suggested that a single-candle lantern onshore would be insufficient to lure a boat into dangerous water on a dark night. The boat crew did not see the light until they got within 150m of it.<ref>''Coast'' Series 1 episode 2, BBC 2005</ref>

In 2007 the container ship [[MSC Napoli|MSC ''Napoli'']] went aground off [[Branscombe]] beach in [[Devon]]. Some of its cargo was washed ashore and many wreckers plundered the cargo in spite of attempts to prevent this. People came long distances to retrieve such things as BMW motorcycles. Goods from wrecks are supposed by law to be reported to the "[[Receiver of Wreck]]" and finders will then be given a reward.