A personal watercraft (PWC) rider collided with the Essex Police marine unit twice while out on the River Blackwater yesterday (Monday, 30 August).

A spokesperson for the marine unit said they caught the rider "riding in an antisocial manner".

They added: "The rider didn't know how to stop his PWC or switch the engine off and collided with us. Twice.

"The serious point to this is that these are not toys and can do a lot of damage without training.

"The rider's details have been forwarded to the harbour master with a view to court action being taken for breaching the local bylaws."

Maldon District Council (MDC) donated a jet ski to the marine unit, based in Burnham-on-Crouch, in July to tackle antisocial behaviour on the water.

At the launch of the new PWC, on Monday 12 July, the marine unit said that there had been an increase in antisocial behaviour on the water since the start of the pandemic.

The marine unit has since been out on regular patrols on the water in efforts to tackle the issue.