River Hull: Warning over danger from water scooter speeders

Local boat clubs said there had been an increase in the number of water scooters on the River Hull

Irresponsible water scooter riders pose a danger to other river users on a quiet stretch of water in East Yorkshire, it is claimed.

The River Hull, which runs from near Driffield to the Humber Estuary, has a speed limit of 6 mph (5.21 knots).

Local boat clubs said some water scooter and powerboat owners were flagrantly ignoring the rules and travelling at high speeds on the water.

It also had an impact on local wildlife, they added.

In one recent incident, a water scooter rider escaped serious injury after a high-speed crash near Tickton.

One eyewitness told BBC Look North: "I can't believe how fast they were going - you just saw the end of it really as a guy just clatters into the scaffolding [on the mooring]."

A rider escaped serious injury after crashing at speed on the River Hull near Tickton, eyewitnesses said

Dave Rawding, from Kingston Kayak Club, said: "It's really in the past couple of years it's become more of a prevalent issue, with irresponsible people in powerboats and on jet skis, particularly."

"They are travelling fast up the river, which is too narrow, with too many other river users," he said, adding they were "destroying the habitat of wildlife".

"Some use the river responsibly, others don't, unfortunately," he added.

Dave Rawding said speeding on the waterway was not only "dangerous" but destroyed wildlife habitats

New legislation was introduced earlier this year in a bid to tackle the problem, with the government warning anyone "riding a jet ski recklessly or causing harm" faced an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison.

Watercraft users in the UK are now bound by the same laws that apply to ships, giving more powers to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to prosecute irresponsible riders.