'Stupid and dangerous' teenagers warned over 'chicken with a ferry' craze in Camber

“Stupid and dangerous” teenagers have embarked on a new social media craze in Old Portsmouth dubbed “chicken with a ferry”.

Youngsters have been seen swimming across the Camber where Wightlink ferries motor through the choppy waters.

Once across the water they climb onto the ferry company’s property and use it as a diving platform.

The aim of “chicken with a ferry” is to get across the Camber - which has strong currents and rip tides - before the ferries come into the terminal. If they don’t make it across in time then a day of fun is likely to end in tragedy, police have warned.

The seriousness of the situation has sparked police, Portsmouth City Council and Wightlink to join forces in a bid to stop the new game and other activities in the shipping lane before it is too late.

As well as swimming and diving, there have been reports of kayaking within operational harbour areas, trespassing onto Wightlink property and the placing of objects in the water.

Ferry operations have also been affected, with Wightlink reporting a vessel departure being delayed by approximately 20 minutes whilst people were present in the water.

Other anti-social behaviour issues reported by Wightlink include damage caused by fishing weights being thrown and reports of damaged windows.

Fishermen who have used the spot for years said they had never seen anything like “chicken with a ferry” before. “It’s stupid and dangerous. I’ve never seen it done before and I’ve been coming here for years,” Steve Arnell, 59, said.

“I saw them do it when a ferry was coming around the corner very quickly. It only takes them a few minutes to swim across but it’s so dangerous with the choppy waters from the ferries let alone the rip tides and currents.

“They need to be stopped. If that was my grandchildren then I would give them more of a talking to than the police.”

Another fisherman said: “I saw them do it…they just jump in and swim over. It’s definitely dangerous with the boats that are coming in. They have big engines and are powerful. A kayaker was flipped over recently as well before he was rescued by police. He could have died.

“If the engines are on then the swimmers have no chance with the surge of water created. When it’s calm it can be swam quite easily but you still have to watch out for the currents.”

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A third fisherman said: “There’s been jumping off the pontoons that has gone on over the years but this challenge is new. One teenager rode a bike into the sea as well.”

Finley Furminger, who also regularly uses the spot, said: “They jump in the water and people from Wightlink shout at them. I’ve not seen them swim to the other side. (Swimming near the pontoons) has been going on for years.”

Zac Truran, general manager of the Bridge Tavern, said there have been large gatherings of teenagers during the hot weather, but said things had calmed after a dispersal order was issued to stop people going in the sea until 6pm daily.

Referring to the new trend, he said it was called “chicken with a ferry” and added: “I’ve never seen so many police here everyday.”

It comes as police recently issued a warning that anyone found trespassing will be dealt with “robustly” as they look to prevent the dangerous activity.

A Portsmouth police spokesperson said: “This is not a harmless game or social media challenge – it is an incredibly poor decision that could have devastating consequences. That stretch of water is affected by strong currents, rip tides and the movement of large ferries.

“One misjudged jump, one moment of fatigue, or being caught by the current could very easily result in serious injury or worse. Look, many of the young people may believe they are stronger swimmers than they are, or that "it won't happen to me", but the sea will not care how confident you think you are. “It only takes one mistake for a fun day out to become a tragedy.”

The police are asking parents and carers to speak with their children about the risk involved.

They also shared a direct message to young people stating: “Fun doesn't have to involve attempting to swim across to the Wightlink area. It is dangerous, irresponsible, and simply not worth risking your life for.”

A spokesperson for Wightlink said they have been working with police, Portsmouth City Council, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, harbour authorities and other local organisations following a “rise in incidents”.

The spokesperson said: “Recent incidents have included people swimming in ferry operating areas and a canoeist capsizing after being affected by water movement near a pontoon. In response, Wightlink and its partners have introduced a range of measures including additional signage, improved reporting processes, targeted patrols and public awareness activity.

“We would also encourage parents and guardians to talk to children and young people about the risks of swimming in and around a busy working harbour.

"Our primary concern is preventing a serious injury or fatality. The Camber may appear calm from the shore, but it is a complex operational environment with moving vessels, strong water movement, restricted visibility and very little time to react when someone unexpectedly enters a vessel's path. Many of the incidents we are seeing are not occurring on Wightlink land, which is why a coordinated response involving a range of organisations is so important.

"This isn't about stopping people enjoying Portsmouth's waterfront. It's about helping everyone understand that this area of water is much more dangerous than many people realise. Swimming, jumping from harbour structures or operating small craft close to ferry movements can put both the individual and others at serious risk.

"We're working with our partners to raise awareness of those risks and help prevent someone being seriously injured."

A council spokesperson said: “We are working with police and Wightlink on a coordinated response to the increasing number of swimming and water-related incidents within the Camber area. We echo the strong police message that swimming in the Camber and surrounding entrance to Portsmouth Harbour is extremely dangerous, it's a busy shipping lane, there's strong and unpredictable tidal currents and hidden underwater hazards.

"In response, Wightlink has increased its security presence to deter people from climbing onto its property and risking serious injury.

"Alongside police, Council staff have increased visits to the site to assess the area and identify preventative measures. We are exploring the possibility of installing extra CCTV to improve coverage of the Camber and ferry crossing area.

"This issue will continue to be monitored through Operation Nautical, a partnership of key maritime and enforcement agencies who work together to address risks and incidents in the harbour area.”

The King’s Harbour Master was approached for comment.