Choppy waters on the River Medway led to a protest which was expected to bring some 80 motor cruisers to the Island not showing up.

The vessels were due to blockade the river at Garrison Point, Sheerness, on Sunday, as part of a national protest by pleasure boat owners warning that soaring marine fuel prices would kill their hobby.

According to Gerry Bloomfield, who is the Medway organiser of the protest which was due to set off along the river from Rochester to Sheerness, a 25-knot wind across the river and the climate change protests at Hoo resulted in protesters stopping at The Strand, at Gillingham.

He said after talks with police that morning they were advised not to pass the river near the Kings North site, but stage the protest at the half-way point instead.

He said: “It went well, and we proved our point. All you can hope is that people listen. In the end we did not come to Garrison Point because of the winds and police advice on the climate change protests.”