The 'Eye' slams CaRT over harassment

THE outspoken magazine Private Eye has taken up narrowboatworld's disclosure of Canal & River Trust's harassment of people who dare to complain of its suspect activities.

The 'Eye' is particularly feared, as it is essential reading of most MPs and thus the bosses of CaRT, but like narrowboatworld felt that the Trust had well overstepped the mark with its harassment of our own Ralph Freeman and the boaters' group Pamela Smith.

Hounded

In its outspoken way, Private Eye reported how Ralph and Pamela had been hounded, and published:

'As it happens Grey Nomad's skipper is also a regular contributor of photographs and articles about canal maintenance to boating news website narrowboatworld, which has been a thorn in the side of the new charity, raising many questions about its funding, its bosses' huge salaries, its future plans and its dubious accountability—just as the Eye has.'

Bizarre legal threats

Of the letter sent by CaRT to the marina where Ralph moors, Private Eye added:

'The marina has not handed over the information, but if CaRT is planning legal proceedings it will follow the bizarre legal threats made against the Kennet & Avon boaters' group over online criticism of CaRT and  the "unauthorised mockery" of its logo (Eye 1324). Does CaRT have nothing better to spend its money on?'