NEW health and safety laws could sink the Little Ships of Dunkirk that rescued soldiers from France in 1940.
Scores of the boats still operate — some as pleasure cruisers. But new rules to bring “heritage” boats in line with modern safety standards are putting their future at risk, say owners.
Danny Collier, owner of the Princess Freda, which now ferries tourists along the Thames, said it will cost him more than £200,000 to upgrade.
He said: “These changes would be financial suicide.
“We were on a hiding to nothing until Dunkirk and that fantastic rescue. It’s an honour to own the Princess Freda. It’s not clichéd – she is a living piece of history.
“This has come out the blue for us, it surprised the hell out of us.
“What the Luftwaffe failed to achieve – health and safety rules is going to do. And there are several other boats in the same position.”
The new rules would prevent seating at or below the water line and are being driven by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency – part of the Department for Transport.
And they could come into force in early next year.
For Princess Freda that would mean ripping up her downstairs saloon bar and seating area and putting in a new deck – at massive expense.
Danny said there hadn’t been a fatal accident on the Thames for 30 years – but the agency was determined to force through new health and safety rules.
The Little Ships of Dunkirk were a flotilla of private boats that helped rescue more than 336,000 British and French troops during Operation Dynamo.
They were drafted in because shallow waters prevented heavy Royal Navy warships getting close enough to shore to save troops stranded on the beach.
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency said: “All passenger ships, including the ones that went to Dunkirk, need to meet the same safety standards.”
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