HM Customs Cutter

One of Her Majesty's Customs Cutters slid down the Sound yesterday afternoon, a fine looking boat showing a good turn of speed. Built by Damen, a Dutch company, she's 42m long and capable of 26 knots. In recent years the government has purchased four of her type, at over £4 million each. With appropriate names like Searcher, Vigilant, Seeker and Valiant, their original role was largely in the control of smuggling.

But.... Look closely. Just above the bold sign 'CUSTOMS' painted on her side is a new, rather tattier one: 'HM BORDER AGENCY'.

The addition of the sign follows yet another British Government reorganisation, with the creation of the UK Border Agency. It's a merger of the Border and Immigration Agency, UK Visas, and the 'port of entry' functions of HM Customs and Revenue which include the control of smuggling.

So Customs cutters now have the additional role of searching for people trying to make an illegal entry. I wonder who they'll be looking for off this west-facing coastline. Americans? Canadians? Inuit?