A JET ski rider has been fined after losing control of his watercraft and crashing twice into an Essex Police boat.

Last year Essex Police's marine unit officers came across 84 anti-social behaviour incidents involving personal watercrafts (PWC), also called jet skis, down from 99 in 2020.

Their work was aided by Maldon District Council’s donation of a PWC which has allowed officers better and faster access to areas they previously struggled to reach.

One man has been handed a £200 fine plus £150 costs after riding his jet ski at more than three times the speed limit along the River Blackwater.

Read more >>> Essex Police gifted jet ski to tackle antisocial behaviour

He then crashed twice into an Essex Police boat in Steeple Bay when officers asked him to stop.

Sergeant Alex Southgate said: “We could see a PWC being driven quickly across the water.

“There is an eight knot - 9mph - speed limit but we could see, even from some distance away, that the PWC was being driven at well over 30mph.

“Our PWC was able to enter the shallow waters and approach the rider, directing him to come over to our rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) where we were waiting to speak with him.

“As he approached, it was clear that he was unable to control his PWC.

“He collided with our RHIB, snapping off one of his wing mirrors.

“Although he managed to turn his PWC around, he collided with us again, snapping off the second wing mirror. As I called out to him to turn the engine off, he asked ‘where’s stop?’.”

Read more >>> Personal watercraft rider collides with marine police twice

In the video, an officer can be heard telling the rider: "If you're on that and you're saying to me 'where's stop?', that's worrying me."

In another speeding case, a man was fined £100 with an additional £150 costs after being filmed in his speedboat by a member of the public.

The man was travelling at more than 20 knots in the eight-knot restricted area between Tollesbury Fleet and Woodrolfe Creek. 

Officers were able to identify the boat from the footage and trace the owner, who admitted the offence.

Anyone who witnesses or experiences any anti-social behaviour on the water can report it to police through its digital 101 service on the Essex Police website.

Alternatively, people can call 101. In an emergency always dial 999.