Floating debris in Castle Harbour could cause serious harm to jet skiers, according to nearby watersports clubs.

Earlier this week a fridge was found in the water, causing a hazard to water skiers in the harbour.

Marriott's Castle Harbour Resort sports coordinator Michael Burke said floating junk, which had escaped from the nearby land reclamation site, was becoming a real problem.

He said: "You certainly don't want to come across a fridge when you're out on your jet skis. It's a very busy area. It's not just us, there are plenty of locals out there on weekends.

"We found a propane cylinder the other day. It depends on the tide, but there's a lot of junk out there. There are booms there, but they don't stop everything.'' Michael Stevens, manager of the Blue Hole Water Sports Club, was also alarmed by the dangerous junk.

He said: "It's hazardous to my boats. Stuff stays submerged. I came across a telephone pole the other day which was an inch under the water so you couldn't see it until you're right on top of it.

"It's very dangerous. Some of our water skiers are going at 20 to 25 miles an hour.'' He added that the problem had been around a long time.

"But whatever they're doing to stop it is not working,'' he added.

"There's also the environmental concern. It's a very pretty area, but it loses it's appeal when you see car tyres and fridges floating around the boat.'' Police are also concerned about the problem. Spokesman P.c. Alan Oliver told The Royal Gazette : "If a boat or jet ski hit the fridge, it would have been very serious.'' Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott said he would get onto the problem.

He said: "I shall ring the contractor now and make it right. Basically the contractors do a good job, but when there is a high tide stuff slips beyond the barriers.'' And he added that the landfill contractors, Hunt Sanitary Services, were not necessarily to blame for water-borne waste in the harbour.

He explained: "It's a sophisticated operation down there. They don't just chuck rubbish in there and dump earth on top.

"But members of the public illegally dump stuff and it occasionally escapes the attention of Mr. Hunt.''