Distress flares' misuse angers coastguards

A total of 12 man-hours was spent by Coastguards at Bexhill and Eastbourne on Sunday night after the crew of a yacht spotted a red distress flare between the two towns.

After an extensive search, nothing was amiss was found.

Now Coastguards believe the flare was deliberately set off from onshore rather from a vessel in distress.

With Bexhill colleague Tom Bloor, local station officer Dick Rowsell spent three hours scanning the coastline with night-vision binoculars.

The emergency services are duty-bound to make a thorough check on any flare sightings in case lives are in danger.

But flares let off irresponsibly onshore are becoming increasing common.

He said on Monday: "People who see these things being set off know they are being set off on land so they don't tell anyone.

"But they are the people we WANT to hear from.

"What we are getting is reports from yachts and vessels at sea. At night time they cannot see whether a flare is being set off from closer inshore or whether in fact it is onshore.

"We need to hear from people who see these thing being set off onshore - especially if they know who is doing it. We really need to get to the bottom of this and have a word with whoever is doing it. It is totally irresponsible.

"I can't remember how many of these sightings we have had recently."

Some outdoor activities shops are selling time-expired emergency flares. Police and Coastguard are powerless to stop them.

Mr Rowsell said: "Emergency flares are a Class A pyrotechnic which can be lethal in the wrong hands.

"If they go off and anyone is killed or maimed the manufacturers would say it was nothing to do with them because they are time-expired.

"These things are expensive to buy and have a shelf-life of three years."