Police’s water dash to pick up teenage boat thieves

The thieves had tried to pinch a skiff moored off Two Tree Island, Leigh, on Sunday, during the Southend Airshow.

But a fisherman in a dinghy spotted the theft, and called the Thames Coastguard, who sent for police reinforcements.

Officers rushed to help on the jet ski and a Rigid Inflatable Boat.

Det Con Simon Lofting, of the Essex Police Marine Unit, said the fisherman had managed to grab hold of the skiff until police arrived minutes later.

He said: “We were already in Southend, policing the airshow.

“The call came that there were three males on a stolen boat from Two Tree Island making their way to Southend.

“We shot up there on the jet ski and the Rib, and as we came up we saw the guy on the dinghy who made the call.

“He had stopped the lads and apprehended them until we got there.”

The teenagers were conveyed to the end of Southend pier where the RNLI provided a motorised cart to ferry them to shore.

Det Con Lofting said: “We were going to get on the train, but because of the airshow the train was full.”

He said the teenagers were then handed to local police.

Investigations revealed the skiff belonged to Leigh fisherman Mick Lake, and one of the boys had also climbed aboard his catamaran.

The teenager was seen rooting around inside, but no valuables had been left onboard.

Leigh fisherman Paul Gilson said: “It beggars belief. How bright are some people?

“It’s such a shame, because Mick looks after his boat and so many of these people want to steal and smash. I despair.”

Mr Gilson said that this kind of behaviour was now prevalent in Leigh. He added: “Many people don't want to leave their boats at Bell Wharf any more because of the problems.

“You can go down to Bell Wharf and not see a boat now.”

An 18-year-old man from Leigh, an 18-year-old man from Canvey, and a 17-year-old boy from Canvey all received a caution for taking a boat without the owner’s consent.