Boat cut loose by vandals while owners slept
Apr 16 2009 By Adam Courtney
Sleeping boat owners found themselves drifting towards Shepperton weir in the middle of the night after vandals released their moorings.
The incident, at 6am on Tuesday, occurred just days after two thugs were convicted for causing carnage at the same spot in 2007 by turning a boat into a floating fireball.
This time two vessels, described as being 37-ft long, were set free and actually hit the weir, having to be dragged free by Environment Agency tugs. Minor damage was done and it is unclear where the boats were released from.
In the early hours of last Wednesday, April 8, five boats were set free from their moorings at Docket Eddy Lane, Shepperton.
River policeman PC Jim Halstead, who is advising people mooring overnight to drop anchor, said at least two of the boats were occupied at the time, with startled boat owners having call for help.
The unoccupied boats were stopped from slamming into the weir by Walton firefighters, who used a special rigid inflatable boat to bring them to a halt. Damage was done to some of the boats, which were all between 30ft-35ft long.
The two incidents come after thugs Nathan Hopkins and Jamie Ellis were sentenced to 18 months in prison for an arson attack which destroyed a £25,000 boat and almost burned down Shepperton weir.
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