Campaign to save historic boat on roundabout fails

Hastings Borough Council said the boat poses a health and safety risk and is now beyond repair

A campaign to save a historic fishing boat from being removed from a seaside town roundabout has failed.

The Dorothy Melinda will be removed from its position outside Hastings railway station "as a priority".

Hastings Borough Council said the boat is now beyond repair, posing a health and safety risk to the public.

Peter Carney, who campaigned to save the boat, told BBC Radio Sussex he was "very disappointed" by the decision.

Reflecting on his campaign, Mr Carney said: "I look back at it now and [I'm] thinking about what I could have done better - I could have started earlier.

He said there were "multiple parties" involved and it was "very time-consuming and frustrating" to get everyone together.

The boat appears on the council's logo and has stood on the roundabout for 15 years.

Mr Carney added that due to the condition of the boat "it is likely to be destroyed by chainsaws and taken away".

'Decaying in front of our eyes'

The Dorothy Melinda boat is famous within the Hastings fishing community and Mr Carney says it is a "symbol of the town".

Speaking to BBC Radio Sussex, he said: "We should do more to look after the old boats, which are decaying in front of our own eyes.

"We lost another boat a few years ago and that's why I decided to get involved to try and save this one."

The council said it hoped to find an alternative home for the boat where it could undergo restoration, but "unfortunately this has not been possible".

The roundabout is also on a lease from Southeastern for a fixed period.

The council added that "the removal of the boat is now urgent and the council has now instructed contractors to safely remove the boat".

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