Councillor who criticised looters is investigated over £15K BMW

Tory councillor Stuart Hughes appeared on TV condemning looters, passed out receiver of wreck forms for people who removed items from the stranded MSC Napoli and later called for the area to be closed off to put a stop to the looting – four months later and police are investigating him for illegally taking a £15,000 BMW motorcycle from the wreckage.

Hughes, who is running for East Devon councillor and also a member of the Devon and Cornwall Police Authority has dismissing the allegations deeming them as “nothing more than a dirty tricks campaign.”

However, Hughes, 55, has confirmed he has been questioned over the theft of the bike: “Apparently I’ve been accused of stealing one of the motorbikes and storing a shed load of gear. It is absolutely ridiculous,” said Hughes. ”I had stacks of salvage forms that members of my constituency came forward to collect – do you not think I would have thought to fill one in myself?”

58 containers washed ashore after the MSC Napoli decked-out on January 20, and more than 40 more containers are still yet to be accounted for.