A TEENAGE speedboat driver and his grandfather who owned the boat have been fined a total of £1,000 and ordered to pay costs totalling £935 after they raced through busy Christchurch Harbour at more than eight times the speed limit.

Samuel Wheeler, then aged 18, was at the controls of the Ring Cat speedboat spotted near the entrance to Christchurch Harbour by the crew of the Christchurch council patrol boat on the evening of the Mudeford Lifeboat fun day in July.

The speedboat was travelling at between 16 and 20 knots in an area limited to just four knots and then accelerated through the main channel towards Christchurch where it reached a speed of 35 knots, leaving canoes and other sailing craft tossed about by the wash.

As the speedboat slowed and the patrol boat approached Mr Wheeler was seen to move from the helmsman's seat and his grandfather, Robert Finn, took over the controls.

At Bournemouth Magistrates Court Mr Finn, as owner of the boat, admitted failing to exercise reasonable control of the boat when it was driven by his grandson and was fined £800 and ordered to pay £467 in costs.

Mr Wheeler admitted speeding at 35 knots in a four-knot area and was fined £200 with £467 costs.

Council solicitor Peter Woodcock said: "For a boat to travel at this speed would be the equivalent of a car travelling at 240mph on a road with a 30mph speed limit. To say it was reckless would be putting it mildly.

"Both defendants claimed that they did not realise what speed they were doing they would have been well aware from the noise made by the engine, the motion of the boat and the visible rate of progress that they were exceeding the speed limit by several times.

"We are pleased that the magistrates have recognised the danger that these two men put other sailors into and fined them accordingly. We hope this will be a warning to other reckless boat owners."