Serial killer blamed for canal deaths

IT HAS been revealed that 85 bodies have been pulled from Manchester's canals during the past seven years, leaving some to believe there is a serial killer on the loose in the city.

Though the deaths of 57 have been explained, the police admit that there are 28 deaths in the canals that are still unexplained, Keith Gudgin tells us.

The police insist that the reason for most of the deaths, of mostly men, particularly around the homosexual area of Canal Street which is lined by drinking clubs has been established, but admit there are some classified as unexplained.

The Pusher

But the remarkable number of 28 unexplained deaths in the waterways in the city in such a short space of time leaves others to believe there is a serial killer on the loose, even to naming this person 'The Pusher', and that the police are simply lax in their investigations.

The many drunks falling over the wall of Canal Street and drowning in the Rochdale Nine prompted Canal & River Trust to erect a fence on the wall (pictured), but it did not stop them getting to the towpath elsewhere and either falling in or being attacked, though the fence did stop boaters getting onto the road to prepare locks.

Undercroft

Then there was the suggestion to close part of the Rochdale Nine known as the Undercroft (pictured) during darkness, but a spokesman for a gay association told:

"It's a well established cruising area, it has been for many years. Obviously there's a risk that people are going down there to engage in sex and sex acts and they are being exploited and attacked in other ways. By closing off that area and gating it off completely, I would worry those activities are just going to move elsewhere."

Relative s speculating

The 28 unexplained deaths of men over the period has led to puzzled relatives now speculating whether the deaths were the victims of a serial killer, though Manchester Police have dismissed the suggestion, claiming lack of evidence.

Commenting on the theory John Spencer writes:

'Given that you can stand up in canals and a lot of drinking goes on in Manchester where the canals run through the town [city] this theory seems a little far fetched. Unfortunately a lot of drunks do drown in canals as its so easy to fall in when drunk and hard to get out if inebriated.

Another writer points out that there are drunks falling into rivers and canals in York and Leeds, with fences being erected to attempt to stop them, but there is no claim of serial killers.