Under the proposals, boat owners would take unwanted crafts to the Broads Authority's depot to be disposed of.

It is hoped this new approach will help tackle the growing number of wrecks in the Broads, which are causing a growing financial burden for the organisation.

The problem has been blamed on a "worrying trend" of 'gifting', where boats in poor condition are being given to people for free so owners avoid the hassle of getting rid of a boat with no resale value.

A sunken boat at the entrance of Commissioners Cut in Thorpe St Andrew (Image: Archant)

This leads some boat owners to ditch their worse-conditioned vessels in favour of the gifted craft.

Others are selling non-compliant boats very cheaply or offering them for free on social media sites like Facebook Marketplace.

A report has revealed the scale of the issue faced by the BA, which is paying thousands of pounds in upfront costs to recover sunken vessels.

These........

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