Bradford on Avon boater 'will set fire to boat armed with garden fork'

George Ward is described as having mental health issues and being a “suicide risk” by Nick Brown, a National Bargee Travellers Association caseworker who has supported him through legal proceedings since 2010.

Mr Ward, 62, has been ordered by a Bristol County Court judge to obtain licences for his two workboats, The Celtic and the March Hare, by 4pm on Thursday, March 23.

To achieve that, he also needs boat safety certificates and insurance.

Canal boater George Ward faces eviction is he cannot obtain Canal & River Trust licences for his two workboats. Photo: Trevor Porter 69371-3 (Image: Trevor Porter)

Now Mr Ward has threatened to barricade himself on board armed with a garden fork to ward off anyone who tries to stop him torching his boats, one of which is 124 years old.

“I will go and buy 40 gallons of petrol and when they turn up I will set fire to everything and myself and the boat. The lot,” he said.

“What do they want a desperate man to do? I am going to lock myself in the boat with the garden fork and if they try and get in the window I will stab the f**k out of them and call it self-defence.

“What am I meant to do? I am sitting there at night-time because I can’t sleep and all kinds of scenarios play out in my mind whilst the court tells me nothing about the defence I put forward on February 6.”

The statutory notice sent by the CRT to George Ward last October. Photo: Trevor Porter 69371-6 (Image: Trevor Porter)

The Canal & River Trust, the charity that manages more than 2,000 miles of the UK’s inland waterways, obtained the eviction order on January 23 following a statutory notice issued last October.

It says Mr Ward’s boats are ‘unlawfully moored’ without a licence on the K&A Canal near Bradford on Avon and has been trying since 2016 to make him move.

If he fails to obtain a licence for the boats, Mr Ward faces being unable to navigate, moor or secure them on any part of the CRT’s canal network, and will essentially be made homeless.

The CRT has been approached for a comment but has so far failed to respond.

In a confidential client report dated August 2021, Mr Brown said the CRT had ‘contrived’ to dispose of Mr Ward’s possessions, which he had piled up on the canal towpath following the sinking of The Celtic in September 2018.

George Ward's workboat, The Celtic, was sunk in September 2018 after being swamped by the wash from two hire boats speeding past.Photo by Dru by Marland (Image: Freelancer)

The 70-ft long workboat built in 1899 was refloated after being swamped by a party of drunken stag party revellers cruising in an ABC Leisure hire boat and is still not in a fit state to move.

Mr Ward is living aboard the 50-ft March Hare and has been trying to repair and refurbish The Celtic since 2018 using £7,500 in funds raised by supporters through an online appeal.

The CRT seized Mr Ward’s possessions on April 14 2021, including parts that he needs to repair his diesel engines, and put them into storage.

George Ward's possessions were piled up on the canal towpath before being seized and put into storage. He has not been able to retrieve some of the engine parts and equipment he needs to repair his boats. (Image: Freelancer)

Mr Brown alleged: “It became apparent that a contrived plan had been put together by CRT, commencing on 16-8-2021, to dispose of Mr W's possessions held by CRT in secure storage.

“The deadline was set at 25-8-2021 but Mr W only received notification of this deadline by “Special Delivery” correspondence after hours after the deadline had passed. No Torts Notice was issued by CRT.

“I have studied the timeline and associated evidence and this makes it clear, and I have no doubt, that the clear intention of CRT was to deny Mr W the real prospect of retrieving his property.”