Should finders be keepers or are the Branscombe beachcombers thieves who should be brought to book?

 

Citizens of Devon were gathering yesterday on the beautiful beach of Branscombe to plunder the mass of barrels, bikes and Pampers washed up from the stricken container ship lingering in its waters.

 

Mark Lorberg described the scene perfectly. "It's great, isn't it?" he said, while pilfering pet food. "A cross between a bomb site and a car boot sale."

 

Among the hundreds who gathered on the beach was Mary, a retired teacher, who was on an afternoon stroll when police told her she could help herself to the beached booty. Technically true, as long as she reported it, but she'd better leave her cask of wine to mature for a year first.

 

Some of the beachcombers could end up in court because the contents of the Napoli, now strewn along the shore, is not exactly fair game. Each item picked up from the beach must be reported to the police and, even then, the salvagers must wait 12 months for the items to become legally theirs. However, some industrious types have already begun flogging their stolen goods on eBay, and the ones who got away with a barrel of wine are probably having a good swig of their swag.

they are stealing. To nearly quote (as I can't remember the exact words) a police officer about the whole issue.

 

We're applying 17th century ideas to the 21st century.

 

All the items on that ship have rightful owners who have paid for their transport and the goods, and should expect that they receive them. If someone gets knocked down in the street and their mobile phone falls out their pocket you can't suddenly grab it and claim its yours because you scavenged it.

I think it is in bad taste all the looting but all the stuff that has been stolen is insured so no one will lose out

I think it is in bad taste all the looting but all the stuff that has been stolen is insured so no one will lose out

 

say that when someone breaks into your home with news audiences watching :blink:

You can't compare the 2

 

A home is private territory the ship had been declared as salvage and totally different marine laws apply like they do with those that gathered artefacts from the Titanic

Laws that are so outdated it only takes common sense to see it is theft.

 

Mince pies are still illegal but we don't hang anyone for it :lol:

if the laws are out dated then they should be updated, until then as the law stands people are well within their rights to scavenge. the items will be insured anyway at a huge cost, a cost that 99.9% of shipping owners never collect on.