County councillor and Looe Harbour Commissioner Armand Toms is asking why the Met Office insisted on charging him £17 for advance information about the weather expected to coincide with the recent high tides and their likely effect on the town. In an effort to prepare townspeople who have experienced difficulty in obtaining home insurance because of previous inundations, for the expected high water, Mr Toms contacted the Met Office customer centre by e-mail five days before the tides were due, seeking advice on the weather conditions which could be expected to accompany the tides – predicted to be the highest for 20 years. 'I must admit they did reply very fast, but only with general information regarding spring tides,' he said. 'Having been a fisherman for the last 23 years, I think I know what a spring tide is, so I contacted them again requesting an accurate forecast for the period of the tides – the reply was not what I expected. Yes, I could have the information but only if I paid £17 to speak to a forecaster!' Mr Toms says he cannot understand why he should have to pay for the information when, he says, the local community pays enough in taxes to warrant getting it for free. 'I am disgusted with this public body, as the safety of small coastal communities like Looe depends on accurate forecasts. 'I did manage to get the weather forecast for free from a couple of internet sites and, luckily, the weather was kind to us this time, but we must not let our guard down as there will be very high spring tides next month.'
