'Too drunk for bus' student drowned in Rochdale Nine

Published: Monday, 17 December 2018

A STUDENT who was refused entry on to a bus as being too drunk, then attempted to walk but fell into the Rochdale Canal in Manchester.

The body of Charlie Pope, aged 19, was later discovered in the Rochdale Canal on the 2nd of March after a night out with fellow students, Alan Tilbury reports.

Too drunk

At the inquest into his death at Manchester Coroner's Court, his flatmate told how the pair had attempted to head to his student halls, but a bus driver said Charlie was 'too drunk' to board, so adhered to the rules and would not allow him on the bus in such a state.

resposibility1The pair then returned to the nightclub Zombie Shack, where the inquest heard more drinking took place, then left but became separated, with Charlie thought to have left the venue alone at around 1.20am. He was then recorded on CCTV heading to the student halls but then after three 'missing' hours was seen heading back in a 'drunken state' onto the canal towpath, where it is assumed he fell into the water and drowned.

Petition for fencing

Then of course came the demand for the canal to be fenced off through the city, with Charlie's father launching a petition that it is told was signed by 100,000 people. The area by the side of the canal on Canal Street had been previously fenced off after drunks had climbed the small wall and fallen into the canal, but still managed to get over the fence, as in a drunken state saw it as something of a challenge.

Coroner Nigel Meadows concluded Charlie's death was accidental.