Boater reveals how Canal and River Trust finally managed to evict him

Following a two-and-a-half year campaign, the Canal & River Trust finally turfed him off his boat the March Hare and seized it to remove it from the canal.

The eviction early on Thursday morning left Mr Ward, 62, standing on the Kennet & Avon Canal towpath with just the clothes he was wearing and a few personal possessions including his duvet, his collection of drums and a music speaker.

George Ward's canal boat the March Hare was seized and taken along the canal to the Bradford on Avon Marina to be craned out and taken away. Photo: Trevor Porter 69835-2 (Image: Trevor Porter)

Mr Ward, who is now homeless, said: “They arrived at around 7.40am this morning.

“I was standing by my fire to brew up a hot drink and they came running down the canal towpath.

“I didn’t see them until they were near Rainbow’s boat and then I ran straight towards my boat.

“They jumped on board my boat and I didn’t even have time to get inside and lock the door.

“They were quite aggressive and were demanding that I get off the boat. They were just grabbing my possessions and throwing them onto the towpath.

“They then cut through the mooring ropes and tied a little dinghy to the back of the boat in order to move it.”

Mr Ward claims the Trust’s eviction has been unlawful and that they have not taken account of his disabilities in refusing to grant him licences.

A Canal & River Trust spokesperson said: "Unfortunately, following a long period of time liaising with the owner of two longstanding unlicenced boats on the Kennet & Avon Canal, the Trust has this morning removed the second of the unlicenced boats.

"Taking action to remove a boat from the water is upsetting and is always a last resort. It only happens when a boat owner refuses to follow the rules over a long period of time, during which we have repeatedly tried to resolve the issues and difficulties with them.

"We make sure that in all cases any decision to remove a boat that is lived on has first been independently scrutinised by a Judge.  We act within the law at all times, with the Judge considering each and every case and confirming that we are acting in accordance with our powers under s.8 of the British Waterways Act 1983."

In court orders, the Trust threatened Mr Ward with costs, fines, arrest and possible imprisonment if he resisted or encouraged others to do so.

He was left helpless and protesting strongly as CRT officials, with around five police officers watching, towed his 50ft long work boat towards the Bradford on Avon Marina.

The slick and quick operation was carefully planned by Matthew Aymes, the CRT’s national boating customer services manager, and took less than 30 minutes.

The seized canal boat is lifted out of the water at Bradford on Avon Marina. Photo: Trevor Porter 69835-3 (Image: Trevor Porter)

By 8am, Mr Ward’s boat was being towed through the Canal Wharf lock at Bradford on Avon to the Marina on the A363 Trowbridge Road.

There, a crane was waiting to lift it off the canal to a waiting transporter on which it was transported to a CRT boatyard.

In videos seen by the Wiltshire Times, Mr Ward can be heard protesting strongly about the CRT’s eviction but there was little he could do to stop his boat being seized by CRT officials.

The Trust’s action followed a Bristol County Court order granted on January 23 and follows a ten-year battle to get him off the organisation’s 2,000-mile canal and inland waterways network.

The Trust claims that his two boats were unlicensed. His other workboat, the 70ft long The Celtic, was removed on April 19.

On that occasion, Mr Ward successfully managed to avoid eviction and both boats being seized by locking himself inside the March Hare.

George Ward has been left with just the clothes he was wearing and a few personal possessions. Photo: John Baker (Image: John Baker)

On Thursday though, he stood no chance as CRT officers caught him by surprise and he was unable to lock himself inside.

As they departed, CRT officers told him to seek help from their welfare officer and Carla Boardman of the Julian House charity and his other supporters.

In a final parting shot, Mr Aymes said: “We have been through the court. Have a good day.”

Afterwards, an angry Mr Ward stood on the towpath complaining bitterly about his treatment by the Trust.

He has been offered a tent by a fellow canal boater and says he intends to camp near the canal.