Sabotage to trawler may be work of rival

A FISHERMAN who is offering a £6000 reward after his trawler was sabotaged and nearly sunk believes he may have been targeted by a rival.

Police are investigating after the engine of a 1 million boat skippered by Michael Fairnie failed as crew headed past perilous rocks near the entrance to one of the UK's most dangerous harbours.

His brother, fellow trawler owner Jamie Fairnie, believes only someone with a knowledge of fishing boats could be behind the attack.

Mr Fairnie, 47, from Musselburgh, said that sand and mastic had been poured into the oil pipe of the 21-metre trawler, causing the engine to seize.

The trawler, the Nova Spero, was returning to Eyemouth Harbour and passing through a notorious narrow gap between rocks when the engine stopped. Only the boat's momentum took it through the narrow passage without striking the rocks.

Mr Fairnie said his brother, who has taken a holiday due to stress from the near miss, and his four-man crew could have been killed and branded the vandal attack on February 21 as "attempted manslaughter".

He added that his 49-year-old brother, who is from nearby Wallyford, is now considering quitting the fishing industry, in which his family has worked for 300 years.

Jamie Fairnie said: "They were fishing for prawns off Northumberland when my brother noticed the engine was making a funny noise. He decided to come back to Eye- mouth to have it checked out.

"They had come to Forth Point, just outside the harbour, which has only 70 feet of leeway between the rocks and there were four feet swells at the time. Then the engine failed. They held the boat hard to port and momentum managed to get them through but they will never be so close to losing their lives again.

"It would've been inevitable that the boat would have sunk and the five could all have died. That's why this is a case of attempted manslaughter."

Jamie Fairnie, who is the skipper of his own 21-metre fishing trawler, said: "The sabotage could have happened any time during the previous couple of weeks. Someone must have come onboard and into the engine room. It would have to be someone with knowledge of boats. It may have been jealously, we just don't know.

"My brother has put up the reward although he's considering packing it in after this."

Jamie Fairnie's daughter, the model Savannah, was at the centre of a legal dispute last month when it emerged she was being sued by her former partner, Hearts midfielder Rudi Skacel.

The Czech star claims she took 62,019.05 without his consent following their marriage break-down in 2009.

The model paid back more than 19,000, but they are suing for the remaining 42,969.05.A police spokesman said: "Lothian and Borders Police is investigating reports of malicious damage to a fishing boat.

"Anyone with information is asked to come forward."