Further alterations were later made, including changes to the mill's second waterwheel to drive a surface water pump and haul trucks from a neighbouring gypsum mine.

BBC: Cumbria's Acorn Bank Mill grinds first flour for 70 years

Smit, which in charge of salvaging Prestige before it sank, said the operation - to pump the oil back to the surface - would cost nearly 50m euros and take several months to complete.

BBC: French sub to try patching Prestige