A fisherman has been left devastated after about 40 lobster pots were stolen from him just as the season is about to start.

Julian Rigby, 54, of St Mildreds Avenue, Broadstairs, has one of the last remaining fishing boats based in in the town. It is his sole means of making a living and the stolen pots made up about half of his total.

The pots, worth about £2,600, were taken late in the evening last Tuesday, or in the early hours of Wednesday morning from the Broadstairs Boathouse.

He had recently taken the pots out of storage and was preparing them for the crab and lobster season, which is about to start.

The father-of-two said said: “Small scale fishing is a very difficult industry.

"I find it very difficult to believe that a person could cause such destruction to a hard working fisherman like myself without any remorse.

He described the theft as "cruel" and "painful".

It had taken him years to buy all of the pots and he says trying to replace them at this time of the year is proving difficult, as manufacturers are working through a high demand of orders.