Licence evasion success

SINCE March 2010 the licence evasion rates have remained stable British Waterways has announced.

There are 95.1% of the boats across British Waterways in England and Wales holding licences, with the South including London waterways and the Kennet & Avon Canal the worst with just 92.8% of boats licenced.

80 boats seized

Over the course of the year British Waterways seized 80 boats, of which 34 were in such poor condition they had to be destroyed, and 14 boats were sold to recover the unpaid licence fees and associated costs. The remainder will be sold or destroyed once the legal process involved is complete.

Simon Salem, British Waterways' Marketing Director, comments:

"Our enforcement teams have done a hard job well this year and I want to thank them for their work. I'd also like to thank all our customers who licence on time, and display their current licences, reducing the work that has to be done on enforcement. I can assure you that we will continue to take action on cases where people are not paying."