Statistics of robberies on towpaths

Published: Friday, 07 December 2018

THOUGH Canal & River Trust have given us pages and pages of statistics over the years I cannot find any concerning the number of attacks/robberies on its towpaths, writes James Henry.

The recent robbery in Stoke where a man was robbed and pushed into the Trent & Mersey, has prompted my enquiry, the latest of many attacks on the towpaths that you have reported over the years, and as CaRT must obviously be aware, but why no statistics?

Drownings in Manchester

It was left to narrowboatworld to tell us of the 76 drownings over ten years in Manchester and not a word from the Trust, or about all those in the Avon at Bath or the Ouse in York, notwithstanding its love of statistics.

Your mention of 'wellbeing' really gives the answer to my question, as anything detrimental to the 'wellbeing by the water' that is its latest claim, rather says it all, as nothing detrimental to visiting its towpaths is ever published by the trust.

People are not fools

But people are not fools, and the attacks and the fast cyclists on what are too narrow towpaths are clearly dangerous, come what may of those ever increasing silly numbers of visitors to try and make them seem otherwise.