FISHERMEN on Mersea are still picking up the pieces after the devastating storms which swept the coastline earlier this year.

Although not affected as badly as other places in the UK, Mersea was hit by gale-force winds and extremely high tides all through January and February.

The extreme weather has affected the island’s fishing trade, as well as having a knockon effect on some of the town’s other businesses.

Frances French, of fishing company Mersea Island Fresh Catch, said: “There’s been nowhere near as many fish as there should be because of the weather.

“We’ve only had a minimal number of boats going out and they haven’t been able to go out the distance they usually travel, because the water was too rough further out.”

Read the full story in today's Gazette.