Approximately a billion tiny plastic nurdles have entered the River Tyne after a “devastating spill”, with the pellets thought to have spread much further than first thought.

Nurdles, which are usually 1mm-5mm in size, act as the raw material to manufacture most plastic products.

On Sunday, the Wind Orca ship collided with the berthed container ship BG Orange at the Port of Tyne, causing damage to a dockside crane and injuring one person.