Business owners at Southwold harbour have resorted to sleeping in their boats and huts overnight to protect their property after a spate of high-value thefts in the area.

The harbour has been targeted four times this month – with outboard motors and tools valued at several thousand pounds stolen.

The area is poorly lit at night and, with a promised CCTV security system still several weeks away, business owners are sleeping on site to deter would-be thieves.

Graham Hay Davison, chairman of Southwold Harbour and River Blyth Users' Association, said: 'The harbour is under attack from thieves. This week we have lost two outboards and three sheds have been broken into.

'Thieving from the harbour has been going on for a number of years but we are having a pretty bad spell at the moment.'

One woman, who works from the harbour and asked not to be named, said her colleague had slept at the business premises overnight this week.

She said it had suffered a high-value theft several years ago and there were fears it could happen again. She added: 'We are very worried about it but there is not much we can do. We can't watch these things 24/7.'

Justin Ladd, who runs Justin E Ladd Boat Building and Restoration at the harbour, said: 'The sheds next to me have been broken into but they have not made it to mine yet. It is getting worse and worse unfortunately.'

He said he was security conscious and everything of value was either locked up or taken off site. But as the harbour was some way from the town centre and pitch black at night, he still feared people could steal items if they were determined enough.

'I am very worried about it,' he said. 'I drive down her at all different times of the night and when I am out and about in the early morning I come down here.'

Funds to buy CCTV monitoring and recording equipment were allocated as part of a £3.2m regeneration project to boost fishing facilities and carry out repairs to the North Dock Wall.

Mr Hay Davison said this was progressing and new CCTV was likely to be installed within four to six weeks.

Barbara Kirk, who manages the chandlery at Harbour Marine Services, said the thefts were causing concern and she hoped the new CCTV would help cut crime.

'Because we are quite isolated, something like CCTV will make a big difference to the whole harbour,' she said. 'People have actually been sleeping in their sheds and there have been a couple that have been staying on their boats to keep a look out.'

Insp Nick Aitken, of Southwold police, said officers had stepped up patrols in the area and they were also involved in crime prevention work, including security advice and supplying shed alarms and outboard motor covers.