A SPEEDING jet skier has been fined £750 after he was caught driving unsafely along the river near Benfleet Creek, on Canvey.

The prosecution by the Port of London Authority came following an alert from a member of the public who captured the incident on video.

Kestutis Abramavicius, 36, attended Westminster Magistrates' Court yesterday for the offence that took place in October last year.

Abramavicius, of Dukes Avenue, Grays, admitted "navigation without due care and attention" under Section 108 of the Port of London Act. As well as a £750, he was also ordered to pay costs of more than £3,000.

The court was told that there is an eight-knot speed limit throughout the Canvey area, which is in place to protect river users and the environment.

He was identified with the help of Essex Police by the checking of launching records at a local slipway which matched the description of his distinctively coloured jet ski.

Benfleet Creek is an environmentally protected area for its habitats and vegetation. Wash generated by the jet ski had the potential to affect this sensitive environment, the court was told yesterday.

A similar incident sawLee Martin, 31, from Gravesend, fined £2,750 last month and ordered to pay costs of more than £3,500 for ignoring a ban on jet skiing on the river in central London.

After the hearing, Bob Baker, PLA chief harbour master, said: "We think this prosecution, following on from last month's jet ski case, will again serve as a warning to river users. If you break the rules, we will take action.

"We are also very grateful to the member of the public who recorded the offender committing the offence. Their help was vital to this prosecution and it demonstrates just how concerned people are about safety on the river and its environment."