SKIPPERS, sandwich makers and bait suppliers in Weymouth all had to start work as early as 3.00am to prepare for a fishing trip for a group of off-duty policemen.

It was before sunrise and already Weymouth quayside was packed with 160 members of the Dorset Police Sea Angling club as they queued to board 18 fishing boats for their annual competition.

The manager of the Spar, St Edmund Street, Rebecca Frampton said she was really surprised to receive an order for 160 breakfast baguettes and packed lunches.

She said: "I had to come in at 3am to start on the baguettes and lunch boxes because there were so many of them to do and the shop was really busy by 6.30am."

The Weymouth Angling Centre, Trinity Road, helped organise the fishing competition yesterday morning.

Shop manager Richard Garton said that his staff had started work at 4.30am to prepare the 8,320 ragworms needed for bait, which is worth approximately £1,200.

He said: "It is quite a task because all the worms have to be weighed out for each person."

The angling shop also helped the group co-ordinate the scoring system for the competition day that worked by giving points to the fisherman who caught the most sought after species.

The fish caught included bass, conger, skate, pollack, and gurnards and all were caught and released.

Chris Caines was the commodore of the fleet of 18 fishing boats and skippers who were all from Weymouth.