A devastating boat fire has prompted questions about the safety of vessels moored on the River Avon in the centre of Bath.
A small cabin cruiser, which was being lived in at the time, went up in flames and was completely destroyed.
It is thought the cause of the fire on the Nemo was an electrical fault, but the incident has raised concerns about the management of that section of river.
Fellow boat owners were particularly concerned about the fact that a nearby water tap has been turned off, hampering their efforts to extinguish the blaze before the fire brigade got there.
Fire crews from Bath and Brislington attended the spot near Bath Sports and Leisure Centre at around 8.50pm on Friday.
They reported some difficulties because a parked car had blocked the slipway they normally use, meaning a safety craft had to enter the river much further down.
Another boat owner Charlie Dancey said there had been no injuries but the boat had been "wrecked".
He said: "I was just lying down having a quick siesta when I heard some pops and bangs and I thought 'that doesn't sound right'.
"I looked out and I could see the boat was billowing smoke, so like everybody else in the other boats, I picked up my fire extinguisher and paddled over as quickly as I could."
The group managed to keep the fire under control at times, but it would quickly spark up again and it was left to the fire brigade to extinguish it completely.
Smoke from the fire could be seen from many parts of the city and a large group of onlookers gathered at the scene while the crews dealt with the blaze.
Mr Dancey said it was lucky that nobody had been injured and said the incident raised questions about the way that section of river was managed.
He said: "I think it is time, in the light of this, that we sit down and some sort of discussion about it."
In April last year, two men died after a fire in a cabin cruiser on the same stretch of river.
That section of the river bank is under the control of Bath and North East Somerset Council and is currently being managed by Aquaterra, the operator of the nearby leisure centre.
A council spokesman said all boat owners who paid mooring fees were entitled to use shower and toilet facilities at the leisure centre.
However, he added that the local authority was looking into the long-term management of the moorings and services provided, and would be updating river users with more details in due course.
"We are thankful that no one was hurt in the incident," the spokesman said. "Council officers were in attendance on Friday evening to offer assistance to fire and police officers at the scene.
"The council is working extremely hard to ensure both the safety and enjoyment of visitors to the city using the moorings.
"We are aware of several boats being moored without the permission of the council and which are not paying mooring fees. We are currently looking at our legal options."
