wolverhampton news

Victims pushed into canal during attacks

A gang of thugs who kicked a pensioner into a canal have struck nine times in the past two weeks, police revealed today.

Officers have stepped-up undercover patrols around the towpath near to Wolverhampton Racecourse in Dunstall following a spate of attacks.

Victims have ranged from 40 to 71. Cyclist Christopher Fitzgerald, from Parkfields, and pictured below, was kicked into the canal and was left freezing in the water for 20 minutes as the thugs taunted him on September 13.

But it emerged today that the 71-year-old was the victim in one of nine attacks on people using the route, with one man suffering a shattered kneecap when he was shoved in the water.

Pc Joe Trusselle and Pc Gavin Plumridge have arrested three youths after making inquiries with local schools in the city.

PC Trusselle said: “These attacks have quite understandably shocked and disgusted the local community.

“Never in all my time in the police have I seen such brazen acts of malice on completely innocent members of the public, for seemingly no other reason than getting a sickening personal kick.

“I hope these arrests will reassure people that action is being taken, that we’re confident of putting a stop to the assaults.

“High-visibility patrols will remain in place across the city’s towpaths until we are entirely confident we have caught the offenders.”

The spate of offences began on September 12, when a 40-year-old cyclist was pushed into the canal near Gorsebrook Road in Whitmore Reans.

The group struck again just an hour later, this time pushing a 51-year-old man off his bike and into the water. He suffered a shattered kneecap.

On September 13 the group attacked four more people – aged 72, 33, 61 and Mr Fitzgerald. They suffered a range of injuries from cuts on the leg, to cracked ribs.

A 15-year-old boy and two 14-year-old boys, arrested on suspicion of assault have been released on police bail.

Towpath thugs leave a trail of injuries

* September 12: 40-year-old cyclist shoved in the shoulder and fell into the canal.

* September 12: An hour later the gang pushed a 51-year-old off his bike and into the water. He suffered a shattered knee cap.

* September 13: A 72-year-old man suffered a nasty cut to his leg when he was pushed into the water.

* September 13: Christopher Fitzgerald was left with two cracked ribs after he was kicked off his bike and into the water.

* September 13: A 33-year-old man was targeted but was not pushed in the water. He was racially abused.

* September 13: A 61-year-old man was pushed into the canal.

* September 14: The gang tareted a 49-year-old man was attacked and pushed in the water.

* September 19: A 62-year-old man had his glasses stolen and thrown in the canal.

* September 19: A short time later, the gang targeted a 72-year-old man.

September 18th (that was my turn but luckily for me only one lad)  Wonder if he was one of the three in which case he is the runt of the litter!

Wolverhampton

A seriously weird and sad place.  I moored overnight on the 24hr moorings below the ring road that you can't actually leave.  Nice and safe.  Locks are lovely and easy to use, paddles can be wound up and down one handed but every single one has the anti vandal lock on which gives you some idea of the locale.

Not one person offered to help with gates.

Few returned my smiles and hellos.

Nearly all had a tinny in their hands from 10am in the morning - including mums and dads (or grandparents - difficult to tell these days) pushing pushchairs.  Further down the flight of 21 some got a little upmarket and had a glass bottle of beer/lager.

Under one bridge a lad lurking in the shadows smoking pot.

At tail of one lock what I thought was a hoody so was getting a little concerned but it turned out to be a girl doing some school work.  You just can't tell what a person is going to be like and what they wear is no indication.

But I had no real problems until lock 20.  Cute black lad of about 10 with a football.  We exchanged hellos, was this my boat, yes, was I on my own - I lied and said no my boyfriend was on the boat.  Can I say hello? No he is in bed with a migraine.  Imagine my horror when the lad stepped onto the boat and shouted hello through the hatch at which point I abandoned the paddles and ran up the towpath brandishing my windlass and shouting 'get off my fxxxxxg boat' he leapt off and ran away. I could have caught him as I was so fired up but as I passed the boat I realised the scrote had put the boat in reverse gear (hard) so I jumped on before it got too far away and put it in forward before it got to the end of the line.  The line was long because that was how I had left it so it never went taut.

I'm afraid that if I had caught up with him I probably would have broken his arm with the windlass because I was so angry.  At the very least he would have been thrown in the canal.  I don't often lose my temper but when it goes it goes.  You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.

I am still thinking it is a shame that he didn't slip getting off the boat and hit his head (and or get mangled in the propeller) it would have been entirely his own fault.

For the rest of that lock and lock 21 I was hoping he would come back so I could deal with him.  Took me two hours before I had calmed down.  But as you can tell I am still angry.  I have turned into a fascist.  Wolverhampton should be raised to the ground ...

photos from the phone

the boat I got a ride on to Brinklow.  I know how to travel in style!

Night time at Gas Street Basin.  Please note the kink in the shape of the towpath edge.  At precisely 10pm (I had just turned George Gently off) there was a terrific bang to the side of the boat followed by a splash.  I in the boat stood like a startled meerkat.  Outside I could hear "you ok mate?" followed by a bit of a struggle to extricate whoever had fallen in between the boat and side!  Some laughter and then blessed silence.  Now I don't know if they were about to do something stupid and got their cumuppance, or they simply tripped over the ropes in a drunken stupor or indeed were just walking in a straight line next to the boat when the ground disappeared!

View the next morning as I made my second excursion to find a postbox.  Surprisingly there are none near the Mail box!  People in Birmingham do not send post I finally found one off Lower Marshall st.

Junction on the BCN (I forget which)

Rush hour on the BCN (there is a boat in the distance and there was one behind which turned up one of the arms)

Smethwick New Pumping Station.

Oh and didn't I have good weather?

Posting from the mailbox

Very long day 9.30 to 4.45 with a brief stop at Cadbury's (I was too long for the gap and as there was a burnt out boat at the other end felt that to leave the pointy end past the gates was asking for trouble - so I had a pee and carried on).

They say in the book that the Stratford and Avon canal is pretty - not the bit I was on and it was a sunny day what it must be like in the rain I dread to think.  I think the Worcester and Birmingham canal into Gas Street Basin was much nicer - PLUS I was not asked by a snotty kid if I wanted to give him a b... j..  (Like I was on the S and A!)  Lovely ...

Far too small

That was what I thought when I saw my first single lock on the Stratford Canal after turning off the Grand Union.  To be fair it was at an angle and I could only actually see one gate!

So 19 single locks today and for five of them I bribed a small girl with a ride or two from lock to lock and her father operated gates etc until he could finally drag her away.  I will stoop at nothing to get help!  Be warned.

Two lock free days to look forward to and the joys of Birmingham here we come.

Made it !

With thanks to the kind boater who had cycled down the flight to help a friend with his engine but as his friend was not there decided to take over my windlass from Lock 5 up to Lock 42 (where his boat was).  He made the journey easy with lots of chat and laughter.  As he had been drinking his tinnies (at 10am) I felt a bottle of wine would go down well and it did.

Never judge a book by it's cover.

Thanks Paul you are a star and a true gentleman.

ooh er

It is the big one tomorrow.  Hope I get a locking partner or it is going to be hell.

Coming down into Warwick was relatively easy.  First 13 I tagged onto the coattails of a hireboat and their crew.  Next 4 there was a volunteer lockkeeper and as I was the only boat in his first hour he did everything for me.

Next 6 I was on my own and although I met 3 locks worth of boats coming up (one single two double followed by another single) I was unlucky in that I basically met them at the one lock.  What bad planning on their part!  I also had to turn them all bar that one.  I do not like these hydraulic lock paddles so not looking forward to the Hatton Flight one little bit.

Boaters

So today I have met the Manly Ferry folk.  Thanks for the help onto the water point.

I have also had chats with people who had their boat signwritten by the same artist.  (Jon Leeson)  They had seen my boat and he said 'I did that!'.  Small world etc.

The new look

Ain't she perty.

Rob Bryan's handiwork

Detail of signwriting by Jon Leeson

Not keen

on this cleaning lark.  Exhausted I am.

I wonder how long before someone collides with the lovely new paintwork as I am on a corner and hundreds of boats are leaving Shacklestone.  Have had one near miss already but it was someone I had met last year at Atherstone and I think they lost concentration wondering if I was the same boat and then got their back end stuck on the mud with the bows toying with hitting me at various points!

Still we had a chat while everything got sorted.