Jersey Tourism remove pier jumping promotion from site

The Jersey Tourism website suggested pier-jumping as a free thing to do in Jersey

Jersey's Tourism department has removed from its website an entry which encouraged people to pier-jump.

The activity was listed under a section on free things to do but jumping into harbours is illegal and carries a fine of up to £500.

Jonathan Lee from the RNLI in Jersey said "tomb-stoning" was risky.

Mike Tait from Jersey Tourism said putting the pier-jumping suggestion on its website was an error "done without due care and thought".

Mr Lee added: "The RNLI will certainly class tomb-stoning as a dangerous activity, there is a lot of risks as the water is always moving.

"It is cold, you could wind yourself and land on somebody underneath and struggle to get out again afterwards.

"It is something you would never want to do alone, if you get in trouble how would somebody help you?"

There have been more than 100 tomb-stoning injuries in Britain in the past five years.

Mr Tait said they had removed the item from the website and would no longer list it.

He said: "It came from the sense of people enjoying Jersey in a way that has gone on culturally for many, many years.

"Looking around the island folk are seeing these things going on and it was posted there without due care and thought.

"If you go out into any of the bays it still goes on. But to advertise that to tourists and visitors is not right and we have taken it off our website."