Charity walker robbed in towpath knife attack

Published: Thursday, 05 August 2021

A CHARITY walker on the towpath of the Trent and Mersey Canal was robbed at knifepoint of his charity takings.

Phil Hammond, who was undertaking a 1,200 miles trek to raise cash for a charity, was accosted by a man threatening him with a knife and robbed of his taking on the Trent & Mersey towpath near Barton Turns.

PhilHammondThe Veterans Society

He had started his journey at Leeds and intends completing a trek to Lands End, then to Carlisle then back to Leeds on the 5th of September having hopefully completed his 1,200 miles with the intention of raising £2,400 for The Veterans Society.

The NHS worker was left shaken and shocked after he was robbed at knifepoint with a thug demanding cash and stealing £40 on the towpath that he thought was safe.  He spend the night in safety with the family of one of the charity's volunteers who have supported him over the past 24 hours whilst on the canal towpath.

Left shocked

Though Phil was unharmed, the people at The Veterans Charity have been left shocked and have offered him additional advice and daily check-ins.

Staffordshire Police are now investigating, but  Phil is more determined than ever to complete his marathon trek.

Attacks on the towpaths, alas, are becoming  common, with no few being reported in narrowboatworld and other publications.