TV company sinks boater's home

THE television company Netflix has sunk a boater's home, moving it to facilitate filming the crime drama Top Boy.

The company wanted Anthony Beanlands vintage boat Shalom out of the way of filming, so moved it, without contacting Anthony, and it subsequently sank, Keith Gudgin reports.

Dragged from its moorings

The boat was dragged from its moorings at Hackney Wick in London, started filling with water but left there partially sunk, with no attempt being made to rescue it.

Anthony had been living with his family while renovating the boat, and was shocked to receive a message from a fellow boater that his boat had been moved and was sunk.

The boat had been his home for the last five years, but he is now homeless, it being submerged in dirty water, claiming the production company was responsible for moving it without permission.

Squashed amongst others

It transpired that the company moved many boats, with his being squashed amongst them and the boats going past caused them to be smashed together, hence his taking on water and sinking.

His boat was somewhat fragile being wooden and 100 years old, and could not take the battering as would the present steel boats.  Of the incident Anthony tells:

Did not have permission

"A lady and man phoned me so far.  Firstly, the guy told me Canal & River Trust gave them permission to move my boat, but when I called them, they sent me an email to say no one had given them permission.

"They're only allowed to move a boat under certain circumstances, so that was an out and out lie. The lady called me up and was trying to get it sorted out for their benefit."