Gulf of Mexico oil spill creeps closer to Florida Panhandle

Tar balls formed from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill are just a few miles off the north-west coast of the Florida Panhandle. The current wind direction could mean that oil will start washing up on the shores of the Florida Panhandle at Pensacola Beach as early as Friday.

Oil has already reached Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama's Dauphin Island, so it won't be long before the Florida Panhandle is affected.

Pensacola Beach officials have called upon BP to pay for any equipment they will need to clean up oil on the beach. BP has agreed to cover the costs. But already there are delays in the approval of an oil sifting machine, even though it was requested weeks ago.

The oil problem at Pensacola Beach will be easier to tackle after oil has washed up on the beach and the winds have changed. In the meantime, emergency workers have been laying down miles of oil containment boom in the ocean to try to control the amount of oil that reaches the shore.

BP's efforts to block the oil spill are now back on track after previous attempts failed. Their recent 'top kill' efforts, to overcome the spill with heavy mud, failed to plug the leak. A new cut in the fractured pipe is being hit with chemical dispersants, and workers hope to close the cut with a cap.

BP has been criticised for their slow reaction to the oil spill crisis, which has so far cost them £674 million to try to clean up. BP shares have also dropped by a third.

The Florida Panhandle is a popular sun, sand and sea holiday destination. The oil spill threatening the coastline has coincided with the start of the summer tourist season.

The oil spill has continued to spread since 20 April, when a drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 people.

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