Wey & Arun Canal Suffers Vandalism

[Ken X]

I have just seen this article on the BBC News stating that the Wey & Arun Canal Trust has suffered an attack in which multiple pump control box sites have been damaged. 

 

It seems a strange and specific target to hit so wonder at the motivation. 

 

Hopefully it can be sorted enough for Easter to allow the trip boats to run.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-65188707

[Chris Lowe]

From the canal trust news April 2023.

 

Sadly the news is not all good. During the night of Saturday/Sunday 1/2 April electrical control equipment for pumps was destroyed and water was released from the canal at Loxwood causing major damage. Multiple pumping control locations were attacked and padlocks on canal locks removed. Sussex Police are investigating. The electrical controls are highly specialised and we think that the costs of replacing them could reach more than £50,000. We can also expect a long period of disruption during which some boat trips may have to be cancelled or curtailed. We have cancelled trips scheduled for Wednesday 5 April but we are hopeful that our other Easter trips will be able to go ahead. Anyone with any information which might assist inquiries as to who might have been involved in causing this damage should contact Sussex Police on 101 quoting ‘0731 of 2/4/23’ or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. The impact on our finances is severe and we are launching an emergency appeal. If you could contribute, please visit https://weyarun.org.uk/loxwood-appeal to donate. 

[Athy]

That's appalling - and surprising, as the area is not exactly a hotbed of crime.

[MtB]

Disgruntled (ex)employee perhaps.

 

Or a local resident massively chuffed off with the canal for some reason.

 

Whoever it was must have been very, VERY angry with W&A Canal Trust to have gone to such lengths. Consequently, someone at the W&ACT probably has a good idea who the culprit is, and why.

[Chris Lowe]

There was years ago an a association of landowners who are anti the canal, but I can't imagine even they would stoop to this mindless vandalism, as Athy said Loxwood isn't exactly a big crime area.

[MtB]

3 minutes ago, buccaneer66 said:

There was years ago an a association of landowners who are anti the canal, but I can't imagine even they would stoop to this mindless vandalism, as Athy said Loxwood isn't exactly a big crime area.

 

But that's just it though. It wasn't mindless, it appears to have been very carefully thought out, deliberate and planned.

[Athy]

I hope they're insured.

[Chris Lowe]

They've just announed the purchase of another 800m of canal bed as well.

[cuthound]

When I got a share in my first shareboat back in 1992, two of the co-owners were members of the Wey & Arun Canal Trust. Peter Beresford and Peter Foulger. Since then I have had a soft spot for it and walked quite a bit of it when I lived in Surrey.

[Athy]

7 minutes ago, buccaneer66 said:

They've just announed the purchase of another 800m of canal bed as well.

800 miles? I bet they're exaggerating.

More like half a mile, I reckon.

[Chris Lowe]

 

12 minutes ago, Athy said:

800 miles? I bet they're exaggerating.

More like half a mile, I reckon.

800 metres

13 minutes ago, cuthound said:

When I got a share in my first shareboat back in 1992, two of the co-owners were members of the Wey & Arun Canal Trust. Peter Beresford and Peter Foulger. Since then I have had a soft spot for it and walked quite a bit of it when I lived in Surrey.

 

Peter Beresford was the chairman for many years until Peter Foulger took over, Peter Foulger is a land owner, the section south of Loxwood goes through Peter's land.

[Athy]

7 minutes ago, buccaneer66 said:

 

800 metres

 

 

Ah, I see, its a foreign canal.

[cuthound]

10 minutes ago, buccaneer66 said:

 

800 metres

 

Peter Beresford was the chairman for many years until Peter Foulger took over, Peter Foulger is a land owner, the section south of Loxwood goes through Peter's land.

 

Yes, both interesting characters.

[tree monkey]

1 hour ago, MtB said:

 

But that's just it though. It wasn't mindless, it appears to have been very carefully thought out, deliberate and planned.

Or what are the scrap prices like right now and did the pumping equipment contain a lot of salable scrap

[Chris Lowe]

The BEEB article Wey & Arun Canal: Vandalism a major blow, trust says

 

 

Narrowboat World https://narrowboatworld.com/14499-vandals-attack-wey-arun-canal-restoration

[ditchcrawler]

12 minutes ago, buccaneer66 said:

The BEEB article Wey & Arun Canal: Vandalism a major blow, trust says

 

 

Narrowboat World https://narrowboatworld.com/14499-vandals-attack-wey-arun-canal-restoration

They didn't steel anything, just made it all un-operable 

[magnetman]

50 grand seems a lot if no hardware was taken.

[MtB]

2 hours ago, buccaneer66 said:

The BEEB article Wey & Arun Canal: Vandalism a major blow, trust says

 

 

Narrowboat World https://narrowboatworld.com/14499-vandals-attack-wey-arun-canal-restoration

 

 

Interesting to see that box has been opened with the key, rather than being forced open.

 

 

[dmr]

1 minute ago, MtB said:

 

 

Interesting to see that box has been opened with the key, rather than being forced open.

 

 

 

Maybe its the outer cabinet that is locked rather than the internal box of doings?

[ditchcrawler]

1 minute ago, dmr said:

 

Maybe its the outer cabinet that is locked rather than the internal box of doings?

A key would have been required to open the enclosure, top and bottom

[Jerra]

5 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

A key would have been required to open the enclosure, top and bottom

By enclosure do you mean the box in the pic?   If that box is inside a locked cabinet theinside locks may be the type of thing used on meter boxes or boilers and they are widely available.

Edited April 5, 2023 by Jerra

[matty40s]

5 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

A key would have been required to open the enclosure, top and bottom

A good pair of mole grips can do that too.

[MtB]

Just now, Jerra said:

By enclosure do you mean the box in the pic?   If that box is inside a locked cabinet the lock may be the type of thing used on meter boxes or boilers and they are widely available.

 

Ok, I'd suggest not many "mindless vandals" turn up equipped with a meter box key about their person previously purchased in B&Q. 

 

And even if they did, bringing one along with them suggests malice aforethought.

 

 

 

 

 

2 minutes ago, matty40s said:

A good pair of mole grips can do that too.

 

Yes but WHY? Surely if the intention is to cause maximum damage, busting the box open with a crowbar makes more sense. 

 

The more I think about it, the more I keep being drawn to the possibility the electrician who installed it all never got paid. It's the sort of thing tradesmen will do if they get stitched up for a large sum. Its revenge. 

 

 

 

[Jerra]

I have never suggested it was mindless, in fact personally I think it was quite the opposite.   Somebody ex-employee, landowner, etc has definitely planned to do as much damage as possible.

[matty40s]

This is someone who knew how to do maximum damage to the Trust at a busy time of year.