Devon Contraband

[LadyMaureen]

Hands up all you who live in Devon.....oh,sorry I forgot.....you'll all be down on the beach seeing what you can carry off before the officials catch up with you. ) )

Watching the 6o'clock news tonight was hilarious.....Whisky Galore all over again!

I wonder if everyone has been filmed and then there will be a knock at the door )

Chelsea.....what can you do for us.....a few barrels of wine,maybe some BMW motorbikes,perfume mmmmm we're all smelling wonderful.Certainly cheers us up during this awful weather.

 

[Tram]

It's an ill wind that doesn't blow someone a bit of good

 

[Guest]

One slight difference from Whisky Galore. In that scenario the locals took the'booty' for their own consumption. There was never any intention to sell any of it. In the Devon case the whole idea is to flog as much as possible on E Bay. So if one gets an offer for a 'new' bike, slightly damp, then you know where it is from. And of course it is all technically theft, if you haven't advised the Receiver of Wrecks.

 

[cris_408518]

My cousins were down their toot sweet and I'm saying no more, and remerber it was Devon boys that won the altlantic rowing race in record time!

 

[LMH]

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it on the tv! They were even collecting dog food, brilliant. Just hope they manage to sort out the oil slick before it does too much damage to the environment.

Lisa

 

[Guest]

I hear the latest is that containers with personal belongings of people emigrating, were being 'trashed' to see what could be removed. It must have been really heartening to sit in another country and watch on tv your own personal effects being thrown about by a bunch of scavengers. Good on you Britain, you showed the world your true face yet again. They hanged looters during the Second World War, maybe we should re-introduce it.

Also it takes a really great mind set to drag your kids to a beach in the middle of the night to go thieving.

Maybe the TV channels could make a new programme: 'Celebrity Britain, trash is our motto'.

 

[ginster_374237241]

Well said SL !!

Doesn't it just warm your heart to see the typical "brit" out robbin

 

[chelsea1]

Just caught up with this thread. Been down the beach you see ;-)

Only joking, we were tempted....especially by the oak wine barrels. Feel sorry for the residents of Branscombe, its a lovely tiny little village thats been inundated.

On the local news most people they were interviewing were from Wales and Liverpool and up north !!

Farmer found a load of people rooting around his barns/yard. And what they are finding on the beach they are bringing up to the village and dumping it when they change their minds! :-(

I think they should close the beach now, enough is enough.

 

[Danny_5134221]

I heard that most of the looters were Polish.........

 

[cris_408518]

A friend in Marine insurance finds all the fuss very funny.

His take on the ships cargo is that somebody could have appointed salvage people as soon as the boat ran aground.

But salvage operations are very expensive, getting them an eqipment in place to pick the stuff up costs a fortune.

Things like tha motorbikes that have been in any sea water may beyond economic repair at a garage any way without adding salvage costs.

His veiw is that many personal belongings would be of no further use even after a short period of time in sea water.

He also says that the people clearing the goods on the beach have probably saved the insurers quite a lot more money than the goods worth by taking the stuff.

 

[Guest]

I am sorry but I have to disagree with that point of view. That suggests that 2 wrongs make a right. Maybe they would like to explain to the family who have had their personal belongings looted that it didn't really matter anyway as they were already wet??

Who knows if the bikes are beyond repair, that is maybe something for BMW the actual owners to decide, or will there now be a flurry of parts being offered for sale, although I see E bay has now declined to be part of this scam. I suspect that once the thieves find that what they confiscated is no loger sellable, it will be just dumped, and will cost us all even more money to clear away. Yes, the insurers will pay out, but guess who will pay in the long run??

I think what is more appalling than the actual thefts, is the attitude of many people that the law of the land is only there when it suits, and if one can get away with breaking it, so what? That road leads inevitably to anarchy and the same idiots will then bleat profusely when they are on the receiving end.

 

[cris_408518]

Do remember that when it started it was said that providing the goods taken were declared on the forms handed out for the commisioner for wrecks (think that's right)nothing was wrong and that the goods would probably not be claimed back.

I do have family that live near by, their view is that "certain" people were not interested until the media caught on that some may be on a money earner.

Salvaged goods that have been in the sea end up having expensive salvage experts picking them up and then transporting them to storage before ownership is confirmed or any damage rectified. Goods are even shipped on to their destination before damage has been assessed only to be declared as useless by the owner with a claim for replacement then havinf to be processed and paid.

 

[Guest]

I still think you are missing the point. These goods regardless of condition are someones's property. It is their right as owners to decide what should, or should not be done with them. The lawa also states that goods removed need to be declared, and if required should be delivered to a location appointed by the Receiver of Wrecks. Offering items on E Bay does not to my mind suggest that is likely to be the case.

To y mid this is thefy pure and simple and is similar to leaving a broken down car in a car park and coming back to find it has been vandalised.

 

[Guest]

OOPs what happened? A double post but I only clicked once.

 

[cris_408518]

I agree on the Ebay front.

Goods are meant to be declared and kept for up to year.

But goods lost at sea have some strange rules, even boats that have had to be abandoned can be claimed as salvage if taken in tow by some other persons.

But SL, the containers took some time to reach the shore and where were the authorities ?

May be helping them selves as well ;-)

 

[MikeP]

Do remember that when it started it was said that providing the goods taken were declared on the forms handed out for the commisioner for wrecks (think that's right)nothing was wrong and that the goods would probably not be claimed back.

I do have family that live near by, their view is that "certain" people were not interested until the media caught on that some may be on a money earner.

Salvaged goods that have been in the sea end up having expensive salvage experts picking them up and then transporting them to storage before ownership is confirmed or any damage rectified. Goods are even shipped on to their destination before damage has been assessed only to be declared as useless by the owner with a claim for replacement then havinf to be processed and paid.

Receiver of Wrecks

 

[BigAl1]

Any caravan accessories been beached?

Could do with a new BBQ or a new awning.....Oh and a canary going cheep

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

I suppose it could be compared to if we had an accident on the motorway and our caravan flipped over and spilled its contents. If cars then pulled up on the hard shoulder and the occupants started to help themselves to any of your belongings thats of any use to them we wouldn't be amused :O(

 

[ginster_374237241]

Saw some pictures today after the looters had been banned from the beach and it looks like the day after a pop concert ( to the wrinklies out there that don't know what a pop concert is ...it's were youngish people like me go to have fun and listen to live groups and generally have fun).

It's an absolute disgrace and regardless of whether they are Polish ,English or whatever they are a disgrace to the human race and in my opinion nothing more than pack animals.

 

[Guest]

Don't worry some whizzkid lawyer will claim that being stopped from going looting is contrary to their human rights, and they need compensation.

It seems now that locked up criminals will get the right to vote even although the law passed in 1870 stated that as a result of their crimes, they had put themselves outwith the right to influence the governance of the country. Now Europe without telling anyone says, no, the bad people rule.

Can someone please let me in to the asylum as it may be the only sane place left, as everyone else is outside running the country.

 

[John_374224558]

Whatever the rights and wrongs of what is going on down there, lets just hope that the area doesn't suffer long term and that any of us caravanners who may have considered going to that area still do so and therefore support the local economy, and hopefully the local wildlife will recover as well.

ps anyone taking their tourer down with enough spare payload to get a motorbike on board!!!!!!!!!!!