An oil spill from a West Indies Oil Company’s (WIOC) lorry in Falmouth Harbour flowed into the sea near the new cruise ship dock on Tuesday, raising concerns among residents and witnesses.

The spill reportedly originated from the large fuel truck that routinely reverses up the road to supply vessels at the marina, a manoeuvre locals say frequently causes traffic disruption, noise and pollution. According to witnesses, oil leaked onto the roadway and, worsened by heavy rainfall, ran from the marina area down the gutters, across the road and into the sea by the cruise ship dock.

“The marina is hard over on anything like that, but we have had no reports of such a leak,” a marina spokesman said.

“It was the rain that made it obvious,” one onlooker added, saying “We can only wonder whether this is a regular occurrence.”

Observers described the oil flowing “like a river,” gushing toward the harbour and into coastal waters. The incident occurred in an environmentally sensitive area with significant marine and tourism activity.

While witnesses believe the spill itself was relatively small, they say its dramatic visibility during heavy rain raises broader concerns. If oil can enter the harbour so easily and only become apparent under certain conditions, they question whether smaller leaks may go unnoticed during drier periods.

When contacted, WIOC said it was unaware of any issue and had no comment to make. Despite the visible flow of oil into the harbour, there appears to have been no official report of the incident. By the following day, rain gutters in the area were clear, with no visible sign of residue or cleanup activity. It remains unclear whether the spill was formally reported to authorities or assessed under the country’s National Marine Pollution Contingency Plan, which sets out procedures for responding to oil entering coastal waters.