Twenty-four boats have been taken out of the water in the last four months as the Canal & River Trust has clamped down on people flouting its rules.
One, an unlicensed boat on the Trent & Mersey, cost its owner thousands in additional expenses after the Trust removed it from the water. The fire-damaged boat was logged as unidentified in April, but as action got underway to remove it at the end of October the owner came forward and agreed to pay almost £5,500 to cover the cost of the contractors, as well as outstanding fees.
The Trust’s head of enforcement, Denise Yelland, said: “It’s just not fair for the majority of boaters that a minority try to get something for nothing. We don’t like having to take boats out of the water and it is a last resort, but we will take action on unlicensed vessels.”
