Niger Delta residents retain right to sue Shell

A British High Court judge ruled on Thursday that a Nigerian fishing community would maintain the right to take legal action should the oil company Shell fail to clean up areas devastated by oil spills in the Niger Delta.

The Bodo fishing community went to court following two major oil spills in 2008 and Shell settled the claims for $70m (£52m) in 2015.

The clean-up has now begun.

Shell's lawyers argue that the prospect of further legal action is a hindrance.

They say that it gives people the impression that there could be a bigger payout if the job is not done properly - and people might be tempted to disrupt the clean-up.