Cocklers demand more CCTV after spate of boat break-ins
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| Suffered two break-ins Michael Bates on his cockle boat Charlotte Joan |
COCKLERS say they need more CCTV in Old Leigh after a string of thefts and damage to boats.
Michael Bates, of the company Fruits of the Sea, said more cameras were needed after thieves broke into his boat, the Charlotte Joan, near the cockle sheds in the Old Town.
They stole food, drink, and keys from the wheelhouse before being chased off by a crew member in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
He said: "It's a £350,000 brand new boat. At 3am the chap onboard, a mate of mine who had come down from Scotland and was staying on the boat, heard a noise. They came down the cabin with a cigarette lighter. He shouted at them and they ran off."
This comes after another of Mr Bates's boats, the Solway Prospector, was broken into by two youths in April. The crooks stole a cordless angle grinder worth £300.
Mr Bates said: "It's the second time for me. It's becoming more of a problem. We've had to put CCTV cameras in most of the area and we've got CCTV on the beach. The council don't want to pay so it's funded by the cocklers, but people still seem to come down and steal things.
"We've had to lock everything up in containers down here now and I've had to change all the locks on the boat."
Osborne Brothers also suffered a theft in December when expensive stainless steel shrimp shakers, which are used for cockling, were stolen from the beach.
Mike King, chairman of Leigh Port Partnership, said: "It's just an ongoing thing really. Unfortunately the Old Town attracts nice people and it also attracts nasty people. You've got thieves there and you've also got vandals who are mindlessly damaging things. There have been moves to get more CCTV cameras down there, but that's always very expensive, I think that's why it hasn't happened yet."
Donna Veasy, a spokeswoman for Essex Police, said: "I would advise people to make sure that their premises are as secure as possible with heavy-duty padlocks."
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CommentPosted by: Trainman on 12:01pm Fri 16 May 08
[bold]For the price the public have to pay for their cockles these days, the money should more than pay for more CCTV. I Love cockles from Leigh, but refuse to pay the high prices for them.[/bold]
For the price the public have to pay for their cockles these days, the money should more than pay for more CCTV. I Love cockles from Leigh, but refuse to pay the high prices for them. Posted by: bill, southend on 1:15pm Fri 16 May 08
Dan Rudgley
Jacob Janet
Luke Frost
and their little crew of merry twats
look no further
Dan Rudgley
Jacob Janet
Luke Frost
and their little crew of merry twats
look no further
Posted by: Kim Gandy, Rayleigh on 9:16pm Fri 16 May 08
Surely genuine suspects should be reported to the police and not just named here.
Oh but sorry I forgot, the Echo keeps tabs on criminal activity these days, not the police.
Silly me.
Surely genuine suspects should be reported to the police and not just named here.
Oh but sorry I forgot, the Echo keeps tabs on criminal activity these days, not the police.
Silly me.
Posted by: Tony Winchester, W-O-S on 8:41am Sat 17 May 08
It's a sad day when people trying to earn a living are targeted in this way and feel the need to try to protect themselves and there belongings,Luckily the man on the boat was not hurt in that incident,
Anyone with info on this ring crimestoppers and inform them, and you don't even need to give your name and addresse so they will never know you phoned and informed on them As local people we should try to help small firms.
It's a sad day when people trying to earn a living are targeted in this way and feel the need to try to protect themselves and there belongings,Luckily the man on the boat was not hurt in that incident,
Anyone with info on this ring crimestoppers and inform them, and you don't even need to give your name and addresse so they will never know you phoned and informed on them As local people we should try to help small firms.
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