POLICE were today on the trail of a looter who stole a lifebelt from the Riverdance ferry and tried to sell it on eBay.
The scavenger plucked the life-saving ring from Blackpool beach where the cargo ferry has been left high and dry after running aground in stormy seas last week.
See our gallery of Riverdance picturesPolice were alerted to the sale and contacted eBay who immediately halted the internet auction.
One councillor today labelled the sale "macabre".
Police say they will track down the looter and prosecute them.
Insp Paul Boyes of Blackpool Police said: "We are looking into this and looking to arrest someone.
Riverdance storiesBallast tanks battle to stop Riverdance filling with waterLiam's ode to Riverdance in a night of gales"There may be something in maritime law specific to this kind of thing rather than just a straight theft.
"eBay has it's own fraud investigation department and if this is a legitimate account then it shouldn't be too hard to track down the owner of that account."
The Merchant Shipping Act states anyone "finding or taking possession of wreck material (regardless of size or value) must report it to the Receiver of Wreck". Failure to report recovered wreck is a criminal offence.
The seller – whose online name is "hedra10" – had received one bid of £20 before the auction was stopped.
They advertised the lifebelt as a "great souvenir" despite the fact 23 people came close to losing their lives on the ill-fated ferry which crashed on to the beach, just south of Cleveleys, after being hit by a freak wave.
A description on the site read: "Genuine lifebelt off the Riverdance which has run aground at Cleveleys, near Blackpool. Washed ashore on today's high tide. Great souvenir of an unusual event!"
The Gazette's own website was yesterday inundated with complaints about the sale.
Samantha McWhinnie of Poulton, said: "I had joked to my mum if I went on eBay there would be memorabilia being sold from the ferry.
"It's scandalous, never mind the fact I see this as stealing, it's the thought that lives could have been lost."
Another reader said: "We should not be surprised. It's another example of the greed that consumes our society."
Another added: "They should have the book thrown at them. What a sad world we live in when people are only out to make money from other peoples misfortune," added another.
Anchorsholme councillor Tony Williams said: "For anyone to pick up souvenirs from somebody else's misfortune is macabre.
I'm appalled that anyone would want to take advantage of this accident.
No-one was injured, but if it hadn't been for the actions of the emergency services, people would have died on this vessel and it still poses a threat to people which is why they shouldn't be walking so close to it on the beach."
Riverdance archivesBlackpool ferry: Oil spill fearsTrucks slip off stricken ferryBusiness booming as crowds flock in to see ferrySightseers risk lives walking under toppling ferryRiverdance passenger: "I'm going to die" Firms count cost of lost cargoThe full article contains 524 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
