Boat owners in Fleetwood's Jubilee Quay angry as bollards block their access

The quay, which is to the north of Fleetwood's fish dock, contains around 30 vessels, a mix of former trawlers and various pleasure craft.

Boat owners have moored their vessels up there for decades, back to the days of Fleetwood's once-thriving fishing industry, and regard it as part of the town's heritage.

But Associated British Ports (ABP) says the road running alongside Jubilee Quay, which the men use to drive up to their boats and unload heavy gear, has been plagued by fly tippers.

ABP says it has had to put the bollards up to tackle this menace.

The authority says it will hold a meeting with the men to discuss their grievances, but the men says such meetings have been promised before and not taken place.

Professional fisherman John Worthington, 54, of Troutbeck Avenue, Fleetwood, who owns two vessels on Jubilee Quay, said: "By doing this, ABP have completely cut us off from our boats.

"If you have any sort of gear to lug to and from your boat, it's impossible for us to do it now.

"We have told ABP that we would put our own bollards up to stop fly-tippers, where we would have are own keys to unlock them, because we don't want fly-tippers or thieves here either.

"They won't seem to listen, though."

Another boat owner,Haysam Slim, said: "There would be a real problem if a fire engine, ambulance or coastguard needed to get down here, it's completely over the top to have these bollards here."

There is some dispute as to who the owner of the slip of road is, with the boat owners questioning whether ABP owns it.

But the dock authority insists the restrictions are necessary.

An ABP spokesperson, said: “Vehicle access to Jubilee Quay is restricted to prevent fly tipping and help protect the environment and public health. Prior to the blocks, which are currently found at the entrance to Jubilee Quay, there were other safety barriers to prevent vehicles from entering, which were insufficient, subsequently damaged and needed to be replaced.

“We will consult with boat owners at Jubilee Quay to better understand their concerns, whilst remaining committed to our core values of safety and environmental protection.”