Branscombe Beach closed

Cornishman

Cornishman

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This morning the police have closed Branscombe beach and have the powers to arrest anyone trying to take "stuff" off the beach. Bit late?
Swedish woman was horrified to see on TV at home her private possessions being stolen from one of the beached containers. Hope they get the thieves who can be charged with theft, or another offence under the Merchant Shipping Act it seems.
Of course if they declare to the Receiver of Wrecks that they have the items and are taking good care of them until they are collected they will be OK. Hmmm.
 
There is an interesting article in todays Telegraph
I am pleased that the police are finally doing something. What we have been seeing is Looting. If it were New Orleans, the police would be shooting the looters.
 
I suspect we would all feel that these people were looters if it was our boat washed up and being stripped of everything valuable.
I am at a loss to understand the pathetic response of the police to this situation.
Ken
 
I guess their response, or lack of it, was because of insufficient resources. Now they have got enough it is too late!
I wouldn't want to be one of those whose photo has appeared on TV or in the papers wheeling away a BMW m'bike, though.
 
Bear in mind that in normal circs, the entire bit of coastline between Sidmouth and Seaton probably warrants only one copper, and one who'll be more experienced in traffic accidents, church thefts and donkey rape than in controlling mass looting. I dare say Devon's Chief Constable wasn't best pleased to find out that the MCA had parked a boat full of high value goods on one of his beaches, without so much as a courtesy phone call.

Check The Western Morning News for a more local take on the story.
 
[ QUOTE ]
the police would be shooting the looters.

[/ QUOTE ]

And what about rights for the workers heh? Best introduce forced marches for the sick and disabled and public floggings for the unemployed too - that'll teach 'em heh. I see Saddam is alive and well.. in spirit
 
The Western Morning News article refers to locals worried about the effect on tourism. As far as I can tell, there has been a sudden influx of tourists!

If anyone has already got enough motorbikes and nappies, there are apparently a lot of floating easter eggs and chocolate further along the coast towards West Bay and Burton Bradstock. Perhaps the ladies might be interested in these. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
I presume the good Swedish lady will claim from the shipping company insurers ? as will everybody whose goods are lost.

Wonder if the insurers will be studying TV footage ? would they then have a claim against police for "turning a blind eye"...... very interesting
 
not sure they turned a blind eye - someone reported they were issing forms to report salvaged material to the receiver of wrecks ...... /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
I wonder if her possessions were in the small crate I posted a photo of last night in the thread HERE in the lounge.

About half an hour before taking this photo, I passed the same crate, which had one guy inside passing out packages to his mates (I think I've got a photo of the guys outside, but I'm still sorting through all the ones taken)...... who then unwrapped them, putting what they liked into carrier bags, and leaving what they didn't want on top.

Officials wandering around all over..... but no checks (as far as I could see) on what was being done.

On sunday afternoon, all the roads down to Branscombe were closed by the police.... with an officer at each one. Sunday morning, all the roads were open, except the one down to the beach carpark. We drove through the village quite early, but didn't stop....... eventually driving out to Salcombe Regis about 4 miles away.

Yesterday morning, the closed signs and a few cones were still there, but no police present to stop anyone driving down there. Amazing!
 
As I said in another post -" can't help imagining the scenario of a large lorry, blown off a motorway in last weeks high winds, spilling his 'cargo' of whatever over fields. Is it likely that passers-by who began to load their vehicles with the spilled 'cargo' would have got far before handcuffs were applied!. Watching an idiot on the news this morning with armfuls of car steering wheels was frankly, sickening. This so-called 'salvaging' from containers is no more than theft. Or perhaps looting would be a better word"

I am surprised that someone has not started a rumour that 2 of the containers were loaded with the last batch of Fray Bentos pies!.
 
It might be worth you informing the local plod if you have got photos of pikey scum rifling through that poor ladys possesions.
 
I'm very surprised that the police didn't have someone constantly filming the scene and recording who carried what away. Even if they didn't follow up on it, it would make many people think twice before deciding not to declare it.
 
On that matter, at times, there were probably as many media people on the beach doing either "on camera" interviews or still photography, as there were members of "Joe Public"

Also, fluorescent jacket clad guys were wandering around everywhere too. I talked for a while with some MCA guys wandering around carrying shovels, though didn't ask what they were digging up. More likely they wanted to bury some of the people! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
Man made rubbish tip?

I rather hope that all those that have been so quick to help themselves will also be first in the queue to clean the beach up. Looking at the pictures on the lunchtime news it now looks like a 10 mile long rubbish tip with the packaging the *wreckers* have left behind.
 
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