“IRRESPONSIBLE” jet skiers are set to be banned from Southend beaches in a crackdown on antisocial behaviour, after police received 11 reports of incidents in just two months over the summer.
Southend Council is set to agree a public space protection order, which will see a 400-metre exclusion zone created around Southend’s beaches and the pier.
If agreed, the plans would also mean jet skis can only be launched from the Shoebury Common Slipway, and a ten mile per hour speed limit will be enforced in the launch lane.
Jet skiers who break the rules could be hit with £100 fines or even police action.
It follows worried residents raising a number of concerns with both Southend Council and Leigh Town Council, fearing that “someone may die or be seriously injured” if new rules are not put in place.
Martin Terry, councillor responsible for public protection, said: “The plans are to address the antisocial behaviour by irresponsible jet skiers.
“It is dangerous and I share the concerns about serious injury - or, even worse, someone dying.”
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It comes after in April a man was fined £200 for crashing a jet ski into an Essex Police Police Marine Unit boat off the Southend coast.
The plans would cover all of Southend Western Esplanade, Marine Parade and Eastern Esplanade.
In emails to Leigh Town Council, residents raised serious concerns about it and demanded action.
One said: “This is a problem that is getting worse and as you say someone is going to get seriously hurt or killed.”
It comes after it was announced Essex Police launched a marine watch scheme in Castle Point to encourage sailors and water users to help crackdown on crimes, including nuisance jet skiers.
Keith Evans, chairman of Leigh Town Council, said: “I agree something needs to be done and it needs to be fairly radical. I hope whatever is done does the trick.
“They seem to have the same mentality as boy races and I have heard reports of them intimidating paddle boarders too.”
The council will consider the public space protection order at a meeting later today.
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