Harbour Commission appoints new member

And he has been informed that WHC has no intention of closing off Amble pier to anglers after a fire on New Year’s Day.

Jeff Watson, who serves on Amble Town Council and is county-councillor for Amble West with Warkworth, was appointed to the role earlier this month.

His first WHC meeting is in February and the 69-year-old from Warkworth is pleased to have been selected.

He said: “The harbour is an integral part of the town and I look forward to working closely with the Harbour Commission and bringing WHC closer together with the town council for the mutual benefit of the town and the harbour.”

His appointment is unrelated to his role as a councillor.

On New Year’s Day, damage was caused to Amble pier after anglers left a barbecue burning.

It led to fears on social media that anglers would be banned from the structure, but Mr Watson understands this is not the case. He said: “I have been informed that WHC has no intention of doing this.”

At Thursday’s Amble Town Council meeting, Alnwick and Amble Neighbourhood Sergeant Sharon Wilmore-Greaves said that police have carried out inquiries, but had not yet been able to trace who was responsible for the fire.

She said that a group of anglers had lit a barbecue to keep them warm and had left it burning, adding: “The fire wasn’t deliberate, but their actions were negligent.”

She suggested appropriate signage to try to stop repeat incidents.