Canvey jetty could be demolished due to repeat vandalism

The Port of London Authority has submitted a planning application for the jetty's demolition

A jetty that has been on the Essex coast since World War Two could be demolished due to repeated vandalism and people jumping off it.

The Port of London Authority (PLA) said the Holehaven Creek jetty at Canvey Island would be destroyed if it could not find someone to maintain it.

The wooden hut was used to monitor and communicate any issues along the coast.

"We can't let it fall into disrepair," said PLA head of civil engineering James Palmer, speaking to BBC Essex.

"If we don't find any good use for it then we will need to take it down for those safety issues."

The current jetty was built in the 1980s to replace the previous structure, which was used during World War Two but eventually burnt down.

The jetty at Holehaven Creek, pictured in 2014, replaced the former jetty that was destroyed in a fire

The National Coastwatch Institute (NCI) had been maintaining it for a peppercorn rent since 1999, but said incidents of anti-social behaviour increased during the pandemic. It gave up its lease in 2021.

NCI station manager Graham Harris said up to 40 young people would play at the jetty during warm weather and that members experienced being spat at and threatened with violence.

"We decided enough was enough," said Mr Harris, who added that since 2021 internal walls had been kicked in, paint had been thrown in the hut and windows had been broken.

The PLA submitted a planning application to Castle Point Borough Council earlier this month for the jetty's demolition - as first reported by the Essex Echo - but Mr Palmer said it would prioritise trying to find a new tenant instead.