Men in inflatable dinghy rob Devon fisherman of haul at knifepoint

Two men in an inflatable dinghy robbed a fisherman at knifepoint three miles out to sea, police have said.

The thieves cut the fisherman’s nets and stole his haul after threatening him with the blade off the coast of Devon.

The theft took place off Slapton Sands at about 5.30am on Sunday, said Devon and Cornwall Police.

The men stole the victim’s haul of plaice and Dover sole after sailing towards him in a white inflatable vessel.

A police spokesman said: “Please don’t buy any fish from unreputable sources.”

The Angling Trust has previously warned of organised criminal gangs stealing fish on a huge scale ”under the radar”.

“A lot of it goes unreported, because confidence in the police by anglers is very low,” said Dilip Sarkar, the trust’s national enforcement manager and a former police officer.

There needed to be “greater awareness” of what is a “horrendous problem that’s been under the radar,” he added.

Anyone with information about the Slapton Sands robbery can contact police on 101, quoting log 0267 and the date 24 June.