A former Big Brother star is campaigning to save Cambridge’s freelance punters who have been banned from mooring at Jesus Green this summer.

Before Spencer Smith became one of Britain’s first reality TV celebrities six years ago, he worked as a mobiler, the official name for the freelance punters in Cambridge. He is now attempting to save his former colleagues from a ban that would put many of them out of business. “I loved working on the river and I still love the Cam. It saddens me to hear about this ban,” he said.

Smith fears that the ban would give the punting company Scudamores, which has five mooring stations on the Cam, a monopoly on the lucrative tourist trade. This could lead to higher prices and lower quality service, he said.

Cambridge Council instigated the ban following forty complaints from members of the public last year regarding “aggressive touting” by the mobilers, which is against the law.

The campaign boasts a rapidly growing following. Smith is only one of two hundred people who have signed the “Save Independent Punting” petition in less than a week. The associated Facebook group has attracted more than eight hundred members since last Friday.

Scudamores will have a virtual river monopoly

Smith said that the ban means that “Scudamores will have a virtual river monopoly and carte blanche to set prices and conditions on the river without effective competition. The council must protect, not destroy, the mobilers. They need to draw up business practice agreement which all punts staff – Scudamores and mobilers – must sign and adhere to. We need an even playing field.”

To compensate for the Jesus Green ban, a new station will be set up outside La Mimosa. But this will only be for a very limited number of registered punters. Anyone caught operating from elsewhere will be prosecuted. The council has allocated £10,000 to enforce the new rule.

The general manager of Scudamores, Rob Ingersent, refuted the accusation that he was trying to wipe out independent punters. “We are in favour of the new scheme and are willing to relinquish the La Mimosa site to the new landing stage. It’s just a case of tying up the final details, but we hope the council can set up the new station quickly,” he said.

Michael Stothard