The Essex Police Marine Unit says its work to clamp down on speeding and anti-social behaviour by owners of jetskis and other craft has seen incidents reduced by half.
The unit’s third annual Wave-Breaker operation saw a halving of anti-social behaviour in Essex waters between the spring and autumn this year compared with the same period in 2022 – despite a significant increase in users since the Covid pandemic.
Specialist Marine Unit officers carried out an additional 219 hours of high-visibility patrols in known hot-spot areas, particularly along the rivers Colne and Blackwater, and helped to cut reports of anti-social behaviour involving jetskis to 37 from 74 the year before.
Nine riders were reported for court action after speeding on the rivers Blackwater and Colne, contravening council byelaws. Officers stopped and spoke to 165 personal watercraft riders about their behaviour on the water, resulting in 94 verbal warnings.
In one case heard in October, a man was fined £400 for exceeding the eight-knot limit near Point Clear. He was also ordered to pay a £160 surcharge and £150 costs.
“Officers had already warned the man twice that day about speeding so, the third time, we reported him to Colchester Council, which administers the River Colne’s byelaws,” said Sgt Alex Southgate.
Following incidents on the River Colne at Wivenhoe, Rowhedge, Brightlingsea and Point Clear Bay between jetski riders and people on the shore in June, three people were summonsed for breaching the water speed limit while another was charged with three counts of common assault. Cases are still progressing through the courts.
Officers also issued the first two fixed penalty notices in the country for infringements of the new water-based public spaces protection order in Southend. One saw a Rawreth man fined £100 for being the owner of a PWC launched into a restricted area.
The unit says its main focus is on-water safety, both for personal watercraft riders and other water-users who may come into near contact with them.
“There are very few accidents involving personal watercraft in Essex and we want to keep it that way,” said Sgt Southgate. “We want to help visitors to stay safe while enjoying the many attractions our beautiful coastline has to offer.”
St Southgate added: “We encourage people to report dangerous water-based activity to us so we can take action and we work with local councils, which are responsible for the byelaws, to prosecute offenders whose behaviour has put themselves or others at risk.”
The Marine Unit’s work around the Essex coast has now been adopted as best practice by police forces nationally.
