A FISHERMAN is in a race against time to sell his home in order to pay a £395,000 fine for catching too many fish.

Paul Gilson, 58, and his wife, Heather, who have two children, put their family home up for sale three months ago.

However, the house they have shared for more than 30 years, in Undercliff Gardens, Leigh, has so far generated little interest.

Now the couple, who need to meet a mid-June deadline set by the courts, fear a confiscation order, under which their home and boat would be seized to settle the debt.

If the fine is not paid, Mr Gilson could be locked up for three years.

Mr Gilson, who runs Gilson’s fishmongers in Burdett Road, Southend, is now pinning his hopes on a last-minute bid to have the deadline extended.

He said: “The house has been on the market for three months, but no one has even looked at it in the last eight weeks.

“I am now just hoping the courts will grant me an extension, because you can’t get blood out of a stone.

“I have no intention of letting my home go for a song because it means so much to us.

“It’s been a very difficult time for us and it’s particularly hard on Heather. She is losing the home through no fault of her own.

“Because it’s a confiscation, I presume they could seize everything. If they take the boat, I won’t be able to earn a living.”

The Marine Fisheries Agency prosecuted Mr Gilson for failing to keep accurate records of the fish he caught.

He admitted 27 separate offences in court at the end of last year. However, he believes the steep fine shows he is being used as an example to others.

He said: “The worst thing I did was to plead guilty.

“Even the judge said there was no great amount of money involved. It’s just a farce. The support we have had from everyone has been fantastic though.

“People have been amazing. Some of my customers even refuse to take their change. There are some really good people out there and I can’t thank them enough.”

Mr Gilson has had some success with the launch of his first book, Sole Searching, published in January, about his life on the waves.

He said: “It has been going quite well and I have another book signing in Chelmsford soon. It was the bestseller in Waterstones until Midwives overtook it so I am really pleased with the way it’s going.”

For more about the book, visit www.estuarypublishing.co.uk