One of the most popular social media groups locally is Spotted on the Great Ouse – and this unusual sight provoked a stream of comments.

One post felt that it was time for the Environmental Agency “to do their job and put a fine on it then”.

“Just keep building them and sinking them, then the EA can pull them out at our expense!! Seems a good game,” wrote another.

Popular was the idea that “we should all build one and moor up at Ely for free we could rent them out as holiday lets”. Or alternatively “perhaps we should all muck in and build a Spotted clubhouse - a floating one of course”

Another was concerned about the £500 he had just paid for his licence and hoped it was wasn’t like car insurance “where they charge extra to cover those that don’t pay, does that happen here, does he pay? If I fancy three days in Ely this year they have my number, I paid my licence so they have my address”.

One man said that “a lot of people had tried to help him with proper moorings all along the river but he’s always turned nasty on them after a while, a case of biting the hand that feeds you”.

Another said: “If you think that’s bad visit the Thames at Hampton Court, a chap has a whole fleet of ‘houseboats’ he rents out while evading he EA”.