Fire boat caused mayhem

A NEW fire boat being used on the Thames to replace normal fire appliances is causing mayhem on the Thames with its massive wash.

After the boat Firedart took off from Lambeth to attend to a fire at Hampton Court at high speed it managed to swamp many houseboats and caused untold damage by its high wash, bringing in a large number of complaints to the Port of London Authority, John Hibbert tells us.

Sunk houseboat

It sped right through central and suburban London, past hundreds of house boats, wide beams and narrowboats causing havoc, with items slung about and broken as the huge wash hit the moored craft, sinking one houseboat.

The boat, that was designed for the sea, was also accompanied by a police boat, also careering along at high speed, and such was the combined wash that any narrowboat in their wake would have been rolled over and sunk.

Under control

Having to go through the lock at Teddington it took two hours to reach the fire at Ash Island, by which time it was completely under control—so it turned out to be little more than a 'jolly' for the crews.