Claes van Berkel, a Fisherman by profession, is of medium build with a prominent chin and greying hair. He and his raven-haired wife Nadia, have been neighbors and nemesis to The Three Hogs Inn. Claes has a bitter, long running dispute with Tomas and indeed the whole de Goede family over a fence.

Their long running enmity culminated in a fist fighting the village square where Claes made a petulant commenton the very morning Karel was found to be dead.

"Oh, Manann no... Tomas I... if I may I would... I can't... ... Karel was a proper... boy... man. He was a proper man, like his... father. I'm so sorry."