Following the recent news about the criminal damage to two of Fal River’s safety boats, harassment and intimidation has continued online.

Read the Falmouth Packet Article...

"Within the last three years targeted, deliberate and repeated efforts have been made to disrupt our businesses, damage our property and threaten our staff. These actions include:

• Tyre slashing and vandalism at the homes of business owners and colleagues

• Use of anonymous 'burner' phones to send abuse, threats and harassment by text and calls

• Perpetrators shouting offensive language out of car windows as they drive past colleagues

• Intimidatory actions on the Piers including swearing, staring, obscene hand gestures, verbal threats and derogatory comments

• Attempts to intimidate on the water by staring at colleagues through binoculars, abuse and threats over public VHF radio channels

• Perpetrators shouting abuse and threats from one vessel to another in the vicinity of Piers, where passengers are on board

• Dangerous manoeuvres in the harbour, abusing the 'rule of the road' (collision regulations) to try to force our vessels to alter from a safe course

• Printed posters of colleagues put up in Mabe, Devoran and Penryn, making egregious and false accusations such as paedophilia

• False and malicious complaints to harbour authorities and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency about our operations

• Photographs of colleagues at work being posted on social media using fake accounts with horrendous and misogynistic comments

• Use of fake social media accounts to make accusations of paedophilia and discriminatory comments towards colleagues as well as their family members, including children 

• Physical attacks taking place on harbour property

• Impersonation of colleagues using fake social media accounts

• Filming colleagues as they go about their work on vessels and on the pier

"All these actions have been recorded and reported to the police and / or the harbour authorities.

"We do not object to healthy competition. However these actions amount to an effort to destroy our businesses and livelihoods, and to deny us the right to peacefully carry out our responsibilities at work. 

"The actions are an attempt to create fear at home, fear when answering the phone, fear for our colleagues' safety and wellbeing, fear online, fear that the criminal damage may undermine our operational safety.

"We reject these attempts.

"We respect that the police and the harbour authorities (rightly) have to follow due process in dealing with these crimes and abuses as we report them. We hope that within these constraints, appropriate action will be taken against those who are breaking the law, breaking harbour and pier byelaws, and trying to cause misery. We share the common goal of making the harbours a safe, prosperous and welcoming place.

"However we believe the police and authorities could do more to rid the harbour of this behaviour, which we believe amounts to organised crime.

"We call on the community of this wonderful harbour, including the harbour and other authorities, town councillors and local businesses, to uphold the values of safety and decency by condemning the vandalism, harassment and intimidation that has taken place."

Fal River operates the St Mawes Ferry and Enterprise Boats to Trelissick and Malpas, plus a variety of cruises, tender and charter services

www.falriver.co.uk

Falmouth Boat Hire operates hire boats from Custom House Quay 

www.falmouthboathire.co.uk

Cornish Pleasure Cruises operates river, harbour and fishing trips from Custom House Quay, plus tender and charter services

cornishpleasurecruises.co.uk