A CANAL boater has been hit with a restraining order following an appearance at Salisbury Magistrates' Court last week.

George Ward, 62, who lives on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Smelly Bridge near Bradford on Avon, was given the order on January 19.

It followed action taken by the Crown Prosecution Service and the Canal & River Trust charity that looks after the UK’s canals and inland waterways network.

The Canal & River Trust had accused him of using threatening and abusive behaviour towards two of its employees.

But magistrates dismissed a Section 5 public order offence that Mr Ward had used threatening or abusive words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour on November 27 2020 after the prosecution offered no evidence. Mr Ward had pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Ward was due to appear at Bristol County Court on Monday (January 23) for a hearing of the Trust’s civil claim against him to remove his unlicensed vessels The Celtic and the March Hare from the Kennet & Avon Canal.

Ward has repeatedly alleged the Trust’s employees, and bailiffs working for the charity, are trying to intimidate, harass and bully him to move on.

He claims they are trying to force him to move his two historic canal boats from the place where they are moored.

One of Ward’s boats, the 70-ft Celtic, was sunk in September 2018 after being swamped by the wash from a canal boat hired by a group of drunken stag party revellers who sped by.

Although well-wishers and friends raised more than £8,000 from an online justgiving appeal he has spent the past six years trying to repair the Celtic and make it usable once more.

In a statement, the Trust said: “Last week, following action taken by the Crown Prosecution Service because of threatening and abusive behaviour of a boater on the Kennet & Avon Canal, Salisbury Magistrates' Court issued a restraining order.

“This means that, unless in an emergency or to manage their boat licence, the boater isn’t able to approach people working or volunteering for Canal & River Trust as they go about their work to look after the canal.  

“This is the first such restraining order issued to protect our teams from the potentially lasting impacts of unacceptable behaviour and aggression.

“And today, after years of trying to help the boater meet the licensing requirements of having a boat on our canals, the Trust attended at the County Court for a hearing of its civil claim against the boater to remove unlicensed vessels moored on the Kennet & Avon.

“Taking action to remove a boat from the water is upsetting and is always a last resort, which only happens when a boat owner has refused to follow the rules over a long period of time.

“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 who considers whether the Trust is acting appropriately.

“We welcome all boaters onto our canals and we seek to manage our busy waterways safely and fairly for all the 35,000 boats on the network. 

“We do as much as we reasonably can to help boaters stay on the water, providing guidance and advice to help them meet their licence conditions.

“Whenever boaters are facing serious difficulties we will offer to put them in touch with support organisations, such as the Waterways Chaplaincy and various local independent services, as well as providing help via our dedicated Welfare Officer. 

“Fortunately, of the 35,000 boats on the network, last year only a handful of liveaboard boats were actually removed.”