UPDATE: Oil washes up on Gran Canaria, fears Tenerife could be hit

UPDATE 24/04/15 11:21

Fears are rising that oil found on the beaches in Gran Canaria could spread to Tenerife.

El Médano and Palm Mar could be worst affected.

More soon

Oil patches have been spotted on some beaches in Gran Canaria. The stains were detected on Wednesday at Veneguera beach, a popular tourist destination, and some also turned up in a cove located within the Gran Canaria Biosphere Reserve.

The oil is being investigated, to see if it has come from the sunken Russian factory ship, the Oleg Naydenov.

The government has raised the alert level again, due to the damage it could cause to the coastline. The main slick from the wreckage however is moving southwards away from the islands.

A submersible robot is being used to examine the area, while two clean up ships from the maritime rescue agency are working to keep any slicks from reaching land.

Ecologists have slammed the actions of authorities in how they have dealt with the crisis since the ship caught fire last week.