Boat owner facing £2k bill for police escort

Boat owner Derek Abbot says it is the first time he has been charged for a police escort for his homeboat

A broken sea gate means boat and yacht owners face bills running to thousands of pounds to move their vessels by road.

Glasson Dock near Lancaster is a hub for shipping, boats and yachts, but its gate has been broken since last year.

One boat owner said he faced a bill of at least £2,000 for a police escort for his craft to be moved by road from Fleetwood to Glasson Marina.

Lancashire Police said the charges were in line with national policies.

'Told to pay'

The dock connects the Irish Sea, the River Lune estuary, Glasson Marina and the Lancaster Canal.

Derek Abbot said he wanted to move his three-bedroom homeboat, named Swallow, to the marina.

Mr Abbott said: "It’s a big boat and comes in two upper and lower sections.

"If it’s transported by road, it has to go on two low-loader lorries, which is expensive in itself.

"It’s only 20 miles by road from Fleetwood to Glasson on a route avoiding the motorway.

"Logistically, it is a common route but we’ve been told we’d have to pay for a police escort.

"I’ve had the boat transported on lorries across Cumbria, Cheshire and Lancashire.

"I’ve never been charged by the police in Cumbria or Cheshire. So why Lancashire now?"

A Lancashire Police spokesperson said: "We work in-line with the National Police Chief’s Council national guidelines for escorting abnormal loads and the costs chargeable for such activity."

The Lancaster Port Commission, the Environment Agency, the Canal & River Trust and private operator Aquavista are understood to be trying to find a solution to the sea gate problem.

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