Tried to fire his narrowboat

Published: Thursday, 27 May 2010

BOATER Paul Morton attempted to set fire to the narrowboat on which he lived, by setting light to a gas bottle.

It was prompted by mounting debts, but came to a head when the landlady of the Foresters' Arms at Adwick-le-Street, where he was employed, asked for an explanation about missing money, so he drove his car to a local country lane and poured petrol inside then set light to it, burning himself to death.

Some of the cash was found in the remains of the car, but could not be recovered as too damaged.

It was discovered that he owed around £2,000 in unpaid mooring fees for his narrowboat at Thorne Marina on the Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation.