Call for shark cull as search resumes

The hunt for the Great White Shark that killed a father of two continues.

THE search for the shark that killed surfer Chris Boyd has resumed off Gracetown as some surfers are now calling for a cull of the large predators.

Mr Boyd, 35, was attacked on Saturday morning while surfing at the popular Umbies break about 270km south of Perth.

The father-of-two was fatally mauled when the large shark bounced off another surfer's board and attacked him.

Mr Boyd was carried to shore, his left arm and part of his right leg gone, witnesses said.

The shark is believed to be a great white.

The search for the shark that killed surfer Chris Boyd has resumed off Gracetown as some surfers are now calling for a cull of the large predators.

Gracetown reels from fatal shock

This morning the Fisheries Department resumed the search for the shark at first light.

A department spokeswoman said the search would continue today but may be reassessed depending on what is found.

After a decade of unprecedented fatal shark attacks in WA's South West, some surfers are now calling for a cull of sharks larger than three metres.

It comes as the hunt continues for the suspected great white shark responsible for killing surfer Chris Boyd on Saturday morning.

The search resumes today for the shark that killed surfer Chris Boyd at Umbies break, Gracetown on Saturday morning.

Survivor: I knew straight away

While there have been several shark sightings in the area since the fatality, no sharks have been identified as the potential killer.

Several beaches remain closed and an imminent threat order is still in place as Department of Fisheries staff returned to the water today to reset baited hooks and lines.

A decision on whether to re-open the beaches is likely to be made about midday today.

Mr Boyd's brother, Nick, posted on Facebook at the weekend: ``Stay strong friends he was the best mate and a best brother RIP.''

Chris Boyd, pictured with girlfriend Krystle Westwood, was fatally mauled by a shark while surfing near Gracetown. Profile picture Facebook

Mr Boyd's partner, Krystle Westwood, and his parents have yet to speak publicly about their loss.

The Coolum Boardriders Club in Queensland, where Mr Boyd grew up before moving to Margaret River a year ago, hosted a drinks event on Sunday afternoon.

Attack prevention 'impossible'

Nick Boyd wrote on Facebook before the event: ``Play pennywise as loud as you can. Bring the house down.''

While many surfers and divers have said in the past that they know the risks they are taking in the water, some have now changed their mind.

Aaron Cockman, a close friend of Chris Boyd, at Gracetown. Picture: Marie Nirme.

Margaret River Boardriders Club president Tom Innes said that because great white sharks were a protected species under federal law, there were now too many of them close to shore and those larger than three metres should be culled.

``Sharks are increasing in numbers, they're attacking more people than they used to; there's obviously more sharks in the water and more aggressive larger sharks,'' he told ABC radio.

``I think these larger sharks need to be reduced in numbers.''peMr Innes said using helicopters did not set people's minds at ease and were ``wasted dollars'' because the South West region had a lot of dark reef areas where sharks were not visible.

The US-based organisation OCEARCH wants to tag and track great whites in WA as it has done elsewhere in the world.

Gallery: Pictures from the scene

But Premier Colin Barnett has dismissed that idea because WA already has a tagging system.

He also does not support culling sharks.

Fisheries Minister Troy Buswell said he would further discuss the issue with cabinet later on Monday to see what more the government could do.

He told ABC radio that if the state government was going to take a tougher stance on killing dangerous sharks that attacked people, it would have to seek approval from the federal government.

Mr Boyd's death is WA's first fatal shark attack this year.

It comes weeks after abalone diver Greg Pickering was bitten on the face and body by a five-metre great white while diving off the coast of Esperance.

WA's deadly waters

Gracetown is the site of three fatal shark attacks in the past 10 years.

Surfer Bradley Smith was taken by a great white in 2004 and Nicholas Edwards was killed by a shark at nearby South Point in 2010.

TRIBUTES FLOW FOR VICTIM

Family and friends of Mr Boyd have remembered him as a 'water man' who loved everything to do with the ocean.

Aaron Cockman, a friend and work colleague of Mr Boyd, said they were hanging out on Friday when the subject of sharks came up.

"We were having a conversation about a friend who shot a shark with a speargun," he said.

"I said to Chris 'if anyone is going to survive a shark attack it's you,' because he was such a water man."

Mr Cockman said he only found out yesterday morning about his friend's death after hearing a report on the radio.

"I'd like to send my love to his kids and especially to Nick his brother, I only saw him a month ago" he said.

Nick Boyd posted a tribute on his own Facebook page today: "Stay strong friends he was the best mate and a best brother RIP.''

Originally from Coolum in Queensland, Mr Boyd had been back in WA's South-West for about a year.

The Fisheries Dept spokesman reminded school leavers to stick to beaches patrolled by Surf Life Savers.

Today is the first official day of the annual Leavers celebrations, which sees thousands of teens flock to the South West and Rottnest to celebrate the end of Year 12.

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Trott's tour over due to 'stress'

Jonathan Trott has sensationally left the Ashes tour due to a "stress-related illness", with coach Andy Flower slamming David Warner's comments about the England batsman.

England's Jonathan Trott will return to England. AFP PHOTO / Patrick Hamilton Source: AFP

The Inside Cricket crew discuss Jonathan Trott's shock exit from the Ashes tour after revealing he is suffering from a stress-related illness.

JONATHAN Trott has dropped a bombshell on the England team by quitting the tour of Australia immediately due to a stress-related illness.

In a devastating blow to England's campaign, Trott's Ashes series is over after the classy No.3 returned home following his side's crushing first-Test loss at the Gabba.

England coach Andy Flower and director of cricket Hugh Morris informed the 17-man touring party that Trott had left Australia and will take an indefinite break from cricket.

It is the latest ruction to hit the Poms, who are attempting to pick up the pieces following their heavy 381-run loss to Australia in the Ashes opener at the Gabba.

Trott has been the backbone of England's top-order but the South Africa-born batsman said he has issues that are preventing him playing to his optimum.

England coach Andy Flower has slammed David Warner about the comments he made regarding Jonathan Trott in a press conference about the English batsman leaving the Ashes tour due to a "stress-related illness".

"I don't feel right that I am playing knowing that I am not 100 per cent and I cannot currently operate at the level I have come to expect," Trott said in a statement via the England and Wales Cricket Board.

"My priority now is to take a break from cricket so that I can focus on my recovery.

"I want to wish my team-mates all the best for the remainder of the tour."

Michael Clarke's sledge has nothing on these Ashes feuds, from a full blown Sydney riot to a fan assaulting a player.

Trott left for England last night following the team's first Test defeat against Australia, during which he played two strange innings and was shaken-up by Mitchell Johnson.

The 32-year-old registered twin failures at the Gabba, scoring 10 and 9 as he struggled with Johnson's bounce and aggression.

He was also the victim of insults from David Warner , who accused England of being "scared" of fast bowling and Trott of being "weak".

The Ashes can be a heated contest and it was on display late on Day 4 of the first test match as Australian captain Michael Clarke had some choice words for England's Jimmy Anderson.

Flower said Warner's verbal attack on Trott was not behind his decision to leave.

"Jonathan has been struggling with this condition for quite a while, we have been on tour for about a month and he has had his ups and downs through that month and it is not directly related to that (Warner's comment).

"I would also say players commenting to fellow professionals in the media is disrespectful and I think on this occasion he has got that horribly wrong."

Australia batsman David Warner states his attack on out of form Englishman Jonathan Trott was tactical and all part of the game.

Morris said England hierarchy is rallying around Trott, who has been a revelation since his Test debut in 2009, amassing 3763 runs from 49 Tests at 46.45.

"Trott is an incredibly talented cricketer who has proven himself time and again for England. The cricket side of things is unimportant now, all that matters is that Jonathan is given the time, support and space he needs to recover," he said.

"We fully support his need to leave the tour and the ECB will provide every assistance for Jonathan and his family through this period.

"Jonathan has asked for privacy and I would urge everyone to respect that."

The English have previous experiences of players suffering a stress-related disorder. Former opener Marcus Trescothick left an England tour of Australia in similar circumstances in 2006-07 .

Trott's decision came just 24 hours after former England skipper Michael Vaughan lashed his batting efforts at first drop at the Gabba.

"Trott's second innings at the Gabba was among the worst I have seen from an England No. 3 and the time has come for him to admit he has a problem against left-arm quick bowlers," Vaughan wrote in his British newspaper column.

"Trott does not need to confess to the media but he should go to the coaching staff and tell them he has an issue against that kind of bowling.

Jonathan Trott walks off as the Australian's celebrate. Picture: Adam Head Source: News Corp Australia

"You do not play shots like the ones he did on Saturday without something being seriously wrong in your mind.

"For the first time in his career Trott is facing a question mark about how he is going to cope with a crisis.

"Ian Bell, Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen have gone through that sort of period in the past and emerged stronger.

"Trott can do the same but he has hard work ahead of him because his problem is against pace and that kind of issue is so hard to resolve."

Trecothick was one of the first cricketers in the world to go public after his battle with depression against Sri Lanka in 2006 and again before the Ashes in Australia.

Jonathan Trott's Ashes tour is over after revelations the embattled England batsman is suffering from a "stress-related illness".

Speaking on BBC Radion, the former opening batsman said he felt for Trott.

"It would have been a horrible decision to make, to come out and talk about these things for the first time is tough, I'm sure he's not feeling great at all, but he's definitely made the right decision," he said.

"When you're in that state of mind you get very good at hiding these things but there comes a time where you have to talk about it. It just gets too big sometimes and the best thing to do is to take some time away from it.

"It's debilitating, it grinds you down, and its difficult to escape from, you can't get away from it in all areas of your life. There is no hiding place from it, 24/7. It's really, really tough and it will take time for him to get back on track again."

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Jet skier praised for shark bravery

NEVER FOUND: Surfer Ben Linden, 24, pictured with his girlfriend Alana Noakes, was taken by a great white shark near Wedge Island, despite frantic efforts to save him. . Source: Supplied

MATTHEW Holmes was on his jet ski when he saw a surfer being mauled by a 4m great white shark just 50m in front of him.

He took a friend to shore and then went back to help Benjamin Charles Linden, 24, but found him floating face down in the water with one leg gone and part of his other leg also missing.

Mr Holmes tried to pull Mr Linden up, but the shark bumped the jet ski.

He then saw the shark take Mr Linden's body in its mouth and swim towards the shore.

About 10 seconds later, the shark came back past Mr Holmes with its mouth closed.

Mr Linden's body was never recovered.

Ben Linden's partner relives devastating loss

WA coroner Barry Paul King concluded this month that Mr Linden died by ``misadventure'' in July 2012 near Wedge Island, north of Perth, as a result of a great white shark attack.

SAD FAREWELL: Friends of Ben Linden pay tribute to him during a memorial service.

"I commend Mr Holmes for his brave and selfless actions when attempting to assist the deceased,'' he said.

Mr King recounted how Mr Linden and his friend, Ryan James Soulis, had been surfing for about an hour and were sitting on their surfboards about 15m apart when they noticed the great white shark beneath them.

Family and friends farewell Big Red

As they began to paddle to shore, the shark circled underneath Mr Soulis and then surfaced to his right, close enough for him to feel the spray from its gills, Mr King said.

But the shark then went straight for Mr Linden.

"He knelt on his surfboard and raised his right leg out of the water to kick at the shark, but the shark attacked, taking the deceased in its mouth,'' Mr King said.

Mr Soulis looked back and saw the shark circling Mr Linden's lifeless body.

After Mr Holmes' failed attempt to rescue Mr Linden, a land, sea and air search was conducted, but nothing was found.

The only trace of Mr Linden was his shark-bitten surfboard, Mr King said.

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Rottnest toddler tragedy: coroner rules pillar unsafe

Four years after a three-year-old boy was killed in a tragic accident at a chalet at Rottnest Island, his family have been told a pillar at their chalet was built unsafely.

A FAMILY'S HEARTACHE: Michael Brasier, with his children Charlie and Sarah whose brother was killed in an accident at Rottnest Island four years ago. Source: News Corp Australia

Thomas Brasier was aged three. Source: News Corp Australia

FOUR years after a three-year-old boy was killed in a tragic accident at a chalet at Rottnest Island, his family have been told a pillar at their chalet was built unsafely.
An inquest into the death of Thomas Michael Brasier at Rottnest in October 2009 concluded today that the pillar was constructed unsafely and without proper reinforcements.

Coroner Dominic Mulligan said there were several opportunities to review flaws in the construction of the unit, which was built in 1975 and refurbished in 2006, but it was never properly improved.

"Because of the defective construction, the brick pillar was unable to resist lateral forces, such as that placed on it by the loaded hammock,'' he said.
A family holiday turned into a tragedy when a pillar collapsed and killed three-year-old Thomas who was playing on a hammock.

The Brasier family were among eight adults and 10 children who had gone to the island for a holiday.

One of the fathers attached a hammock to the pillar and a tree, and sat in it for a while, before allowing some of the children to sit on the hammock.

Less than 30 seconds after Thomas got onto the hammock with two girls, the pillar broke into three pieces, crushing him.

Thomas's father, Michael , who was a retired fireman and a practising registered nurse, tried to save his son by performing CPR before ambulance officers arrived.

Thomas' mother knew an emergency doctor on the island and he also tried to help, but commented that the injuries were among the worst he had ever seen.

The boy was flown to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital but was pronounced dead a short time later.

"I find death arose by way of accident,'' Mr Mulligan said.

He made three recommendations including that local governments responsible for issuing building permits receive details of all tie down connections for residential buildings before granting approval for projects.

Mr Mulligan also recommended local governments undertake inspections during construction of residential buildings.

He also recommended architectural drawings prepared for government bodies be archived in a central registry.

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'I just want her strangled, no blood'

AN elderly businessman instructed a hitman to strangle his estranged daughter-in-law and then bury her in a 30-foot-deep hole dug by an excavator, a West Australian court has heard.

Brian Vincent Attwell, 73, is on trial in the Albany Courthouse charged with the rare offence of attempting to procure the commission of a crime.

In his opening address today, state prosecutor James MacTaggart said the well-known local businessman was approached by a truck driver who said he desperately wanted work in the historic Great Southern town and had heard Attwell might be able to offer him employment.

Attwell agreed to meet the man, Mr MacTaggart said, but left him shocked after offering him $30,000 to kill Michelle Attwell, who the AD Contractors managing director despised intensely.

"I've got $30,000 to pay you right now. I want her gone,'' Attwell allegedly said.

Alarmed, the truck driver told police, who launched an investigation and instructed him to call Attwell back, saying he knew "a bit of a nasty bastard'' who would do it.

Attwell, who is wheelchair bound, was then called by a man named Josh, who agreed to fly to Albany from Perth to discuss the deal.

"Unbeknownst to the accused ... he was speaking to a police officer,'' Mr MacTaggart said.

Attwell then met Josh twice to discuss details and pay him a $10,000 down payment on the hit in two instalments.

He used foul names to describe his target, saying she had cost his son Ian $200,000 in a legal dispute.

"I just want her strangled, no blood,'' Attwell is claimed to have said.

But defence lawyer Tom Percy argued Attwell was simply exploring his options.

Mr Percy described his discussions with the truck driver and undercover officer as "bravado and puff, an attempt to express the depth of his frustration''.

Attwell was prone to exaggeration and bluster on matters that he felt strongly about, Mr Percy said.

And he hadn't got to the point of giving the go-ahead. The undercover police officer had never been given a detailed description of the woman, her address or a time to kill her.

Instead, he'd provided "nebulous details'', Mr Percy said.

It was no secret Attwell hated the woman, but was leaning towards having her followed, perhaps scared.

"At no stage was he actually committed to the prospect of causing her physical harm, let alone killing her,'' Mr Percy said.

"Nothing was ever concluded.

"There was a long way to go.''

The trial continues.

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Light rail project could be halved

Artist impression of a proposed light rail urban centre station. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

THE $2 billion light rail plan to connect Perth to suburban areas could stop short of the CBD.

Informed sources have told The Sunday Times that Premier Colin Barnett is becoming increasingly concerned about extending the light rail through either of the malls on Hay St or Murray St.

It comes after Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi's publicity campaign saying the project would "obliterate" foot traffic in the area and affect heritage landmarks.

Under the Government's pre-election light rail plan, a 22km network would be built from Mirrabooka to the CBD and then branch out to the western and eastern suburbs.

But, sources now say there is a widening difference of opinion between Mr Barnett and his Transport Minister Troy Buswell about the route.

The Sunday Times has been told that in the past few weeks, Mr Barnett has met with Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi to discuss the project - at which they discussed stopping the line from Mirrabooka at Kings Square, located within the Perth City Link Precinct.

Any future stops, such as the University of WA or Victoria Park, would be put on the backburner for future discussion.

It's understood Mr Barnett, who is struggling to come up with the money for the project, was sympathetic to the new plan.

Planning Minister John Day also shares concerns about running trams in Perth's busy malls.

Ms Scaffidi said yesterday: "The City of Perth would be very happy with a decision from the State Government that confirms the delivery of a Stage One of a MAX light rail service from the northern suburbs to Kings Square.

"This would see a fulfilment of a major election commitment by the Barnett Government and one that is for a service and form of public transport that we the City of Perth solidly support.

"It would leave the decision for a city route to service the central, eastern and western parts of our great city for a future time when we believe we could work on finding a better circuit system that would save our malls but also be a smarter plan to allow better services to other city precincts and future growth considerations to assist our capital city's growth needs.''

Mr Barnett has faced recent pressure from within his own party not to run trams through Perth's malls.

Upper House politician Peter Katsambanis and Perth MP Eleni Evangel have openly opposed the plan.

Mr Buswell and Mr Barnett announced the ambitious rail plan during the March election campaign, promising to start construction in 2016 and foreshadowing millions of dollars in commonwealth funding.

But new Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said he will not fund urban rail projects.

If Mr Barnett does shelve half of the light rail project, it will put him at odds with Infrastructure Australia and the Property Council of Australia, which believe that linking the CBD to the eastern and western parts of the city - particularly the universities - was vital.

"If the government stops this project at the City Link precinct it will be a disaster for the city," PCA executive director Joe Lenzo said yesterday.

"It would defeat the whole purpose of this project which was to link the northern suburbs to the CBD as well as out to the east and western parts of our city.''

Today, Mr Barnett responded to The Sunday Times story and reiterated that the project was still in the planning stages.

"I've said previously, because of some of the financial constraints on the states, we're looking at the timing of major projects," he said.

"Transport projects form part of that and decisions will be made either at next year's budget or maybe some decisions made at the mid-year review.

"But those decisions are in the process of being determined now.

"I think the important thing is it serves people within the city travelling around it.

"Now the City of Perth has argued against using the malls. The Public Transport Authority thinks that the use of the malls is absolutely essential.

"Primarily the government will make a decision but we want to make a decision that is acceptable to the City of Perth and we want to have a decision which makes best use of what will be a very big public sector investment in transportation."

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Data dummies put patients at risk

BUDGET cuts have compromised the accuracy of patient data vital to running WA's hospitals, an internal report reveals.

A Health Department memo obtained by The Sunday Times warns the recording of emergency department data by the state's public hospitals is in need of "significant improvement".

It says multiple reviews carried out between November 2011 and January this year have revealed instances of patient records being altered and even a potential breach of federal reporting guidelines.

Yet, despite conceding errors do occur, the Health Department insists its data is "generally considered to be of good quality."

Emergency department data is used to forecast demand and allocate staff and resources. It is also used to measure the performance of our state's hospitals against national benchmarks.

The January 30 memo outlines a number of concerns about how hospitals collect data, including how easily information can go missing or be accessed by unauthorised people.

The altering of paperwork at Armadale Kelmscott Memorial Hospital to "match" data entered into the computeris-based Emergency Department Information System was also highlighted.

The report said that the WA Country Health Service was possibly breaching federal reporting guidelines by classifying patients as "seen" when they had only spoken to a nurse and not a doctor.

Several health authorities blamed a lack of resources for the system's inadequacies.

"There are no dedicated EDIS data managers or site administrators at any site," the South Metropolitan Health Service said.

"EDIS data managers did exist at Fremantle Hospital and Royal Perth Hospital but were pulled due to budget cuts several years ago."

Opposition health spokesman Roger Cook said the report put serious doubt over the Barnett Government's claims that WA hospitals were meeting the Four-Hour Rule.

Officially called the National Emergency Access Target or NEAT, the Four-Hour Rule requires that 90 per cent of patients presenting to public emergency departments are transferred, admitted or discharged within four hours by 2015.

"It is clear from the Health Department document that the Barnett Government claims about how well the Four-Hour Rule is going cannot be believed," Mr Cook said.

A Health Department spokesman said it had undertaken "significant work" to rectify emergency data issues since the report, including the development of a quality assurance program and the establishment of the WA Health Emergency Department Data Standards Committee.

"Some errors in recording occur, but in the case of data for key performance indicators there are checks applied to detect arrant records," he said.

The spokesman said WA's NEAT performance was the best in Australia and denied claims EDIS data administrative positions had been lost to budget cuts.

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Complacency behind rise in drowning deaths

WA has suffered its highest number of infant drowning deaths in five years, closed coroner's case files reveal.

Five children aged under four drowned in 2012 - including four in backyard swimming pools, according to research by the Royal Life Saving Society WA.

The deaths have prompted WA Olympic swimmers and water safety campaigners to plea for parents not to be complacent as summer approaches.

They said the figures were a tragic reminder about the importance of supervision, checking pool fences, swimming lessons and learning first-aid.

It comes as Swim Australia and EnergyAustralia prepare to launch the SwimSAFER Week tomorrow aimed at stopping the growing number of drownings across the country.

In total, WA recorded 29 unintentional drownings last year, a 38 per cent increase on 2011 when 21 people died - and the highest since 2009.

The deaths of five children aged under four was the highest since 2007 and compares with a single death in 2011, the lowest in a decade.

Lauren Nimmo, Royal Life Saving Society WA's health promotion manager, said a growing population and more home pools had contributed to toddler drowning deaths.

A steady decline in the number of drownings until last year had also led to complacency about the issue, Ms Nimmo said.

"Unfortunately, the main contributing factor among under fours is a lapse in supervision from an appropriate parent or carer," she said.

"The majority, if not all, of the incidents occurred when supervision was absent. That may only be for a short period of time, but unfortunately that is when they are most likely to happen."

Children can drown in 30 seconds and in just a small amount of water, Ms Nimmo said.

Perth Olympic champion Bill Kirby said legendary water safety campaigner Laurie Lawrence broke down in tears when they recently spoke about the rise in drownings.

"There is people like him who take this to heart so much that he was actually crying on the phone just thinking about those poor kids," the 38-year-old said.

Kirby, who swam to gold at the Sydney Games in the 4x200m freestyle relay, has taught thousands of youngsters to swim after setting up Kirby Swim in 2002.

But he has also spoken to the devastated parents of drowning victims, one as a result of a faulty pool gate and another in a bath.

"I get pretty well choked up even just talking about it," the father-of-three said.

"I've seen the grief that they have had to go through. It's awful. It affects the family for a lifetime."

Kirby believes all children aged over three should be able to swim 5m, but said supervision was "10 times more important" than lessons because even well-abled swimmers can still drown.

"People get complacent and I'm guilty of that as a parent of three young children," he said.

"All my kids could swim by three, but now they are five, seven and nine I'm tempted to go and answer the phone when they are having a swim.

"But even though there is three of them, and they can all swim, I can't - it's such a silent thing that you don't hear."

More than 500 people in WA have been hospitalised from near-drowning over the past five years, including 108 cases in 2012.

Among the 29 deaths last year, 25 were male. The coroner's files also show eight deaths occurred at the home, including six in pools.

The highest number of deaths (15) was at coastal locations, including beaches, as well as on boats and rock fishing, with a further six at inland waterways.

The over 55 age group had the biggest number of drownings (10), which Ms Nimmo said were often contributed to by medical conditions.

The EnergyAustralia SwimSAFER week focuses on encouraging parents to enrol their kids in swimming lessons and knowing what to do in an emergency.

"Families should always have a first aid kit on hand, know emergency numbers, know how to administer CPR, and if a child is missing, always check water hazards first," Swim Australia chief executive Ross Gage said.

More than 300 swim schools across Australia will participate in the campaign, with children and their families learning water skills and the elements of an Emergency Action Plan including CPR.

Adrian Merrick, of EnergyAustralia, added: "We encourage all Australians to test their water safety knowledge at waterhero.com.au during SwimSAFER week to ensure they know what to do to keep their families safer around water."

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Police smash motorbike, car theft ring

Police have smashed an organised crime network that allegedly stole $500,000 worth of high-performance motorcycles and cars. Picture: file image Source: News Corp Australia

POLICE have smashed an organised crime network that allegedly stole $500,000 worth of high-performance motorcycles and cars from Perth CBD over several months.

Detectives from the Vehicle Crime Unit arrested 10 people after a six-month investigation, codenamed Operation Beaver.

Police say the group targeted high-performance vehicles, which had been ordered by "criminal associates.''

"A lot of times they were going into unit complexes, getting into secure car parks, breaking the locks and putting (the motorbikes) on the back of a ute or wheeling them out,'' Detective Sen Sgt Jason Beesley said.

"They were an organised group and they were selling off the bikes to criminal associates and other associates.''

It's understood the group stole between 30 and 40 motorbikes and many of those were rebirthed.

Police recovered about $200,000 worth of high-performance vehicles and parts during search warrants.

Several bikes were also recovered from a Malaga panel beating business.

The owner of the company has been charged.

More than 50 charges were laid against the group, including burglary, stealing motor vehicles, receiving stolen goods and drug offences.

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Ruthless Aussies take Ashes lead

Australia's players celebrate their victory in the first Ashes Test. Source: Getty Images

Australia have destroyed England by 381 runs to go one-nil up in the Ashes. Mitchell Johnson led the charge with 9 wickets for the match, as the Aussies took a giant step in their bid to win back the urn.

AUSTRALIA has won a spiteful first Ashes Test amid claims from England captain Alastair Cook their hosts had disrespected them.

Michael Clarke's men defined ruthlessness as they inflicted a 381-run four-day win.

Clarke even telling England number 11 James Anderson to "Get ready for a broken f***** arm" as Mitchell Johnson began his final spell.

Umpires were forced to calm proceedings as the sun set on a brilliant Test for Australia.

Clarke and Anderson have a heated history and Clarke admitted he felt Anderson enjoyed the art of sledging.

Despite two thunderstorms in the afternoon robbing more than two hours of play, Australia choked the life out of England with a short-ball barrage to bowl them out for 179 at the Gabba.

Australia's first Test win since January followed a 4-0 loss to India and a 3-0 loss to England this year.

Now England's players are in the selection firing line after they failed to make a dent in the fourth innings target of 561.

Michael Clarke tells Jimmy Anderson to face up against Mitchell Johnson. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

While David Warner singled out Jonathan Trott as the "weak" link on day three, several members of England's top order were reduced to shadows of their talent on day four.

Warner's claim that Trott's second innings dismissal was "pretty poor, pretty weak" and that England had "scared eyes" drew a sharp response from captain Cook post-match.

"I think the comment last night by David Warner was pretty disrespectful, to any professional cricketer really," he said.

"On the pitch it is pretty much a war.

The Ashes can be a heated contest and it was on display late on Day 4 of the first test match as Australian captain Michael Clarke had some choice words for England's Jimmy Anderson.

"There will always be a few words on the pitch and that's fine."

Clarke was adamant lines had not been crossed with the vicious sledging, some of which was clearly audible to television audiences through stump cam.

"It's tough hard fought cricket. From our point of view we've still utmost respect because England are a good team," Clarke said.

Brendon Julian and Stuart MacGill cast their eyes over all the action from the first day's play of the opening Ashes Test at the Gabba.

"There is always banter on the field. I cop as much as I give that's for sure.

"I've heard a lot worse on the cricket field than anyone in the Australian or English teams said in this Test match."

On day two, England lost six wickets for nine runs.

On day four, England lost four wickets for nine runs.

Predictably, their batsmen were easily distracted from the task at hand in their final innings.

Their quick loss of wickets began two overs after a 90-minute rain break.

Their shot selection erratic as Brisbane's weather.

Matt Prior hit an innocuous Nathan Lyon off-spinner straight to leg slip as if he was unaware a fielder was there.

Mitchell Johnson takes the match-winning catch. AFP PHOTO / Patrick Hamilton Source: AFP

Stuart Broad (out for four) and Graeme Swann (out for a duck) lasted for a combined four deliveries as Johnson intimidated them into submission.

Earlier Kevin Pietersen (out for 26) attempted to pull a Johnson short ball, which Trott should have advised him against, but only skied it to super sub Chris Sabburg at deep backward square leg.

Johnson finished the Test with nine wickets, including a second innings bag of five victims.

Only Cook made a half century for the mother country this Test.

The England captain's stoic knock proving batting was not impossible on this fast Gabba deck before he fell to Nathan Lyon for 65.

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