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Have a read of this.....
Well done Sunderland council on money well spent. I wish I could meet one of the spongers, in fact I might just do that when they have their next council meeting.
It really is boiling my p***, I\'m foaming, the more I read it, the more I want to take one of the useless t***s to the South Pier and show them how \'unsafe\' it is!
If they\'re that bothered about it being unsafe, why don\'t they use the money they\'re going to use to prosecute all these lads, and put safety rails on the pier!!
As for Mr Simon Tait, station officer at Sunderland coastguard, I bet theres plenty of lads on here who know a hell of a lot more about sea conditions than he does.
If all these do-gooders would just sit and listen to anglers, they might learn a thing or two.
Rant over (for now)
[Edited on 11/4/2005 by Davyred]
Court threat to dock fishermen
DOZENS of fishermen face being hauled before the courts for casting their lines on Sunderland\'s docks, under tough new powers handed to port bosses.
The Echo has learnt that files on more than 40 people who have trespassed on the Hendon seafront are in the hands of city solicitors who are deciding what action to take.
The move comes after two near-tragedies on the docks in February when trespassing fishermen had falls – one was saved by a passing boat and the other suffered a fractured skull.
While by-laws have restricted access to the docks for years, the area has remained a popular spot for fishermen.
But under international terrorism laws, new offences have been created for anyone found trespassing on restricted Port of Sunderland land.
As well as risking their lives, the fishermen were today warned they now face massive fines for practising their sport on the docks.
A Port spokesman said today: \" Working in consultation with the council\'s city solicitor, the Port of Sunderland is now considering a significant number of cases for possible prosecution against people found trespassing in the port\'s docks area, particularly to fish, despite numerous safety warnings and security fences put in place to deter them.
\" Obviously, given the number of potential cases, this process will take some time to complete.
\"The city council would stress that the port is private property and public access is strictly prohibited on security and health and safety grounds. Anyone trespassing in the area not only puts themselves at risk of prosecution but also at risk to their lives.\"
During the mid-1980s, two fishermen lost their lives when they were swept into the sea from Hendon sea wall and another was rescued in 1998 when he was washed off the sea wall. These were followed by the recent near-misses.
Northumbria Police\'s Hendon Task Force has been supporting port security and helping provide information on the 40-plus prosecutions that are pending, initiated by Sunderland Council who own the port.
Dozens of new signs are also being created to go around the perimeter of the restricted area to reinforce the new tough stance on trespassing.
Inspector Gordon Makepeace, of the Hendon Community Team, said: \"As a result of concerns raised by the Port of Sunderland, an agreed protocol was established which enabled us to assist in identifying people trespassing on their land and provide the authority with the necessary information required for a prosecution if it was required.
\"This was introduced both for the safety of the people trespassing and for security and integrity of the site.\"
Coastguard crews said the sea wall, south outlet and new south pier are unguarded and virtually unlit – designed as sea defences, not for public access.
Simon Tait, station officer at Sunderland Coastguard, said: \"Our sole concern is the prevention of accidents. We regularly patrol this area to warn fishermen of the dangers.
\"Recent tragedies at Redcar and Scarborough have demonstrated the power of the sea in similar situations.
DOZENS of fishermen face being hauled before the courts for casting their lines on Sunderland\'s docks, under tough new powers handed to port bosses.
The Echo has learnt that files on more than 40 people who have trespassed on the Hendon seafront are in the hands of city solicitors who are deciding what action to take.
The move comes after two near-tragedies on the docks in February when trespassing fishermen had falls – one was saved by a passing boat and the other suffered a fractured skull.
While by-laws have restricted access to the docks for years, the area has remained a popular spot for fishermen.
But under international terrorism laws, new offences have been created for anyone found trespassing on restricted Port of Sunderland land.
As well as risking their lives, the fishermen were today warned they now face massive fines for practising their sport on the docks.
A Port spokesman said today: \" Working in consultation with the council\'s city solicitor, the Port of Sunderland is now considering a significant number of cases for possible prosecution against people found trespassing in the port\'s docks area, particularly to fish, despite numerous safety warnings and security fences put in place to deter them.
\" Obviously, given the number of potential cases, this process will take some time to complete.
\"The city council would stress that the port is private property and public access is strictly prohibited on security and health and safety grounds. Anyone trespassing in the area not only puts themselves at risk of prosecution but also at risk to their lives.\"
During the mid-1980s, two fishermen lost their lives when they were swept into the sea from Hendon sea wall and another was rescued in 1998 when he was washed off the sea wall. These were followed by the recent near-misses.
Northumbria Police\'s Hendon Task Force has been supporting port security and helping provide information on the 40-plus prosecutions that are pending, initiated by Sunderland Council who own the port.
Dozens of new signs are also being created to go around the perimeter of the restricted area to reinforce the new tough stance on trespassing.
Inspector Gordon Makepeace, of the Hendon Community Team, said: \"As a result of concerns raised by the Port of Sunderland, an agreed protocol was established which enabled us to assist in identifying people trespassing on their land and provide the authority with the necessary information required for a prosecution if it was required.
\"This was introduced both for the safety of the people trespassing and for security and integrity of the site.\"
Coastguard crews said the sea wall, south outlet and new south pier are unguarded and virtually unlit – designed as sea defences, not for public access.
Simon Tait, station officer at Sunderland Coastguard, said: \"Our sole concern is the prevention of accidents. We regularly patrol this area to warn fishermen of the dangers.
\"Recent tragedies at Redcar and Scarborough have demonstrated the power of the sea in similar situations.
Well done Sunderland council on money well spent. I wish I could meet one of the spongers, in fact I might just do that when they have their next council meeting.
It really is boiling my p***, I\'m foaming, the more I read it, the more I want to take one of the useless t***s to the South Pier and show them how \'unsafe\' it is!
If they\'re that bothered about it being unsafe, why don\'t they use the money they\'re going to use to prosecute all these lads, and put safety rails on the pier!!
As for Mr Simon Tait, station officer at Sunderland coastguard, I bet theres plenty of lads on here who know a hell of a lot more about sea conditions than he does.
If all these do-gooders would just sit and listen to anglers, they might learn a thing or two.
Rant over (for now)
[Edited on 11/4/2005 by Davyred]
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