FISHERMEN are ‘sailing out to the oil rig in Poole Bay in a bid to deliberately spoil their nets for cash’, a police officer alleged at a meeting last week.

PC Bruce Murdoch, of Dorset Police’s marine unit, said officers have been busy at ENSCO 72 since it arrived earlier this month,

During a meeting held at Poole Yacht Club in Hamworthy, PC Murdoch said: “We are involved in [the exploratory drilling] as well.

“It’s not major crime, but fishermen are going there and surrounding it with their nets because someone has told them that if those nets are damaged by the oil rig, they’ll get compensation.”

Police are working closely with a range of other agencies to tackle the problem, he said.

Petroleum licence operator Corallian Energy has until February 28 to assess the level of oil in the Colter prospect, which it expects to take a total of three weeks.

The rig, which is based some four miles from the coast of Studland and six from Bournemouth, can be seen from the seaside in the New Forest, Christchurch, Bournemouth, Poole and Purbeck.

The scheme has been controversial, with representatives from Save Our Shores Bournemouth reporting that “up to 6753 tons of chemicals” will be discharged, “including eight tons of biocide”.

However, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said that the proposed chemical use and discharge “would not pose a significant environmental risk”.

Visitors to the meeting at the yacht club broke into laughter after PC Murdoch’s comments.

More than a hundred concerned boat-owners gathered last Wednesday, February 6 to hear about proposed changes to the marine unit.

As reported in the Daily Echo, they were told that Dorset Police will invest around £250,000 in a new, much larger vessel to replace its Humber RIB. The new craft will continue to be moored in Poole.

The number of dedicated officers attached to the unit will reble. The unit will deal with all aspects of marine crime, including thefts from boats, fisheries’ threats and immigration.