THE good and the bad sides of

human nature have been laid bare

in the aftermath of the Holyhead

marina devastation.

As people rally locally and

nationally to raise thousands

of pounds to help stricken boat

owners, others saw the crisis as

an opportunity to loot and steal.

A Holyhead family who run

charter boats have told the

Chronicle of the heartache at

seeing boats sunk and their

business wrecked when winds of

more than 70mph ripped through

the marina last Friday.

More than 80 boats were sunk

or damaged and the marina

destroyed when Storm Emma hit.

But Aaron Smith, skipper at

Anglesey Charter Fishing, which

he runs with dad Mel, mum

Pearl and sister Sara, said the

family had been “astounded by

the “phenomenal generosity” of

people wanting to help, but at the

same time, he had been “shocked”

by the looting.

Bad Boyz II sank and the

family’s other boat, Bad Boyz III,

was smashed on rocks and is a

write-off.

Aaron, 26, from Maes Hyfryd

Road, who is also a crewman on

the Trearddur Bay lifeboat, said:

“I just stood and watched it all

happen.

“It was terrible to see the boats

and know I couldn’t do anything. I

had to walk away. It was ‘gutting’.

“The amazing response by

people locally and nationally to

help the boat owners has been

phenomenal. But the looting was

a shock. People took anything

they could get their hands on.

We lost about £2,000 in electronic

and angling equipment. A

crowdfunding page has raised

over £7,000 since Friday but

others are raising money too. We

can’t thank people enough.”