“We wanted all objects that do not belong in the water. The finds were verified by the police on possible links with criminal offences”, says captain Dries Van Der Veken of the fire brigade from Ostend. The waterway police set up a sonarboot to nothing about the head. “We have fifteen bikes, two scooters, a lot of signs, some barriers but also three sets of bullets above being achieved. It is not clear whether the real bullets, or a one-handed flare gun. The water police took the bullets for research”, says Van Der Veken.
The other cases were picked up by the city services and to the container park. “On 6 may the action be continued further, but then on the other side of the Mercatordok, at the train station. Presumably, there will be many more bicycles and road signs above water. Anything loose, ends up apparently in the water,” concludes Van Der Veken.
Fire and police choose every year a new place to clean up. Last year was the roundabout-basin at the turn.