The extreme hot weather has brought people flocking to the Essex coast and the Essex Police Marine Unit has been busy out on patrols.

You’ll see them at busy spots during the summer as part of their Operation Wave-Breaker campaign to reduce anti-social behaviour and increase safety on the water through engagement, education and enforcement.

At the weekend, the River Blackwater was busier than usual which resulted in four boats between Maldon and West Mersea getting into difficulty and requiring our help. Officers were able to re-start two of the boats which had broken down and towed the other two to safety.

Additionally, the team’s volunteer special constable patrolled in and around West Mersea on Friday evening 27 June, speaking with the marine community there about issues with children lighting fires on the beach.

Sergeant Alex Southgate says the team are investigating an incident in which damage was caused to a small dinghy on the beach after children lit a fire nearby.

“With the recent dry weather, there’s always a risk that a small fire can quickly get out of hand and spread,” adds Alex.

On Saturday, marine officers were patrolling in Steeple Bay when they stopped a personal watercraft being driven at speed in a restricted area. A 25-year-old rider from Rainham has been reported for breaching local water byelaws and a file has been submitted to Maldon District Council for process.

Alex says: “We want people to enjoy their time at the coast but we also want everyone to keep safe and this is why strict water speed limits have been imposed by local councils.

“Other river-users, including paddleboarders and dinghy sailors, were nearby at the time and the speed limit in this particular area is to ensure that everybody on the water is safe.”

Since April, the Marine Unit has carried out 27 Operation Wave-Breaker deployments, providing an additional 405 hours of shore and water-based patrols at identified hotspots. These patrols will continue until September.

So far this year, officers have stopped and engaged with the riders of 50 personal watercraft, given 24 verbal warnings about speed and rider behaviour and reported one person for prosecution.

Alex explains: “We find that educating people as to how their anti-social behaviour could be dangerous for other water-users and marine life is far more effective at preventing future issues.

“But we will report people for prosecution as a last resort.”