A minor oil spill in Peel is suspected to be from a ’vessel undertaking maintenance’ or from ’drains’ in the town.

Oil was spotted earlier this week in the water at Peel Marina and concern spread for wildlife in the area.

Coastguard were called to assess and tackle the situation and a clean-up operation has been undertaken.

Director of Harbours, Mark Kenyon, stressed the diesel was not from the recently refloated ’Claire Anne’ vessel or the ’dredging work’ in the harbour.

He continued: ’We’re assuming the it came from a vessel undertaking maintenance or a change of filters but it could have just as easily been from a drain, you often get spillages of paint or diesel from within the town down into the drain.’

Mr Kenyon added that it looked worse than it was.

He said: ’It definitely originated from within the marina and due to settled conditions and the river being low and the weather calm, it has spread to create a sheen.

’You can tell it’s freshly pumped diesel because you can smell it, this also means it will evaporate.’

Harbour staff have put out dispersants to push the effects of the spill underwater.

Manx Wildlife Trust and Manx BirdLife have had no calls with concern for wildlife in the area as a result.