Tens of thousands of uncooked chips wash up on Falling Sands beach near Beachy Head, Eastbourne

A popular UK beach has become the unlikely resting place of tens of thousands of uncooked chips.

Beachgoers were shocked to find the chips, many still in their plastic bags, covering the sand on Falling Sands beach near Beachy Head and Eastbourne over the weekend.

At first, it seemed the chips arrived out of thin air, but now locals have answers about this mysterious potato appearance.

At least 20 containers of chips are known to have fallen overboard from two ships after Storm Goretti caused rough seas off the Isle of Wight.

The chips, alongside other debris including polystyrene, onions, and disposable face masks, were brought ashore by currents over the past week.

Eastbourne local, Joel Bonnici, told the BBC he “had to look twice” when he went for a walk at Falling Sands on Saturday.

“The beach looked like the Caribbean golden sands,” he said. “In some areas the chips were two-and-a-half feet deep into the ground.”

Mr Bonnici said that a call-out for volunteers has been issued on a community Facebook page to ask residents to help clear up the chips.

“Removing the plastic bags is a priority,” he said.

According to him, there is a small colony of seals nearby that could harmed by the plastic bags.

“I scuba dive quite regularly, and I know what seals are like,” he said. “If they see the bags they will play with them or try and eat them.”

Earlier in the week, three shipping containers washed up at Seaford in East Sussex.

The incident left sacks of onions, many of them broken, washed ashore at nearby Birling Gap and at the beach at Cuckmere Haven.

East Sussex County Council said they “are working closely with partner agencies and neighbouring authorities to manage the situation.”

Particularly dog walkers, they said, should be careful as onions are toxic to dogs if eaten.

“We would encourage the public to take extra care if they are visiting the coastline.”