Boat fires were arson
Vandal poured petrol on a cabin cruiser moored by the Cock and Bear Bridge in Nuneaton, then untied its mooring ropes and pushed it towards a narrowboat, Alan Tilbury reveals.
Leaped off
The cabin cruiser was unoccupied, but the narrowboat had its owner, Marian Alcock and friends aboard, when one of them saw the flaming cruiser heading towards them, so they all leaped off as it was obvious the cruiser was going to hit, with the dogs, also on board, following.
The cruiser, now well alight, hit the bow of the narrowboat, setting the canopy alight and burning the wooden doors, and started spreading into the boat.
Destroyed and sank
The fire brigade arrived, but the cabin cruiser was destroyed and sank, and the narrowboat had all the equipment stored under the cratch destroyed and the majority of the inside black with smoke. Marian had to stay on board as with the bow doors burnt away, the boat was insecure.
It is now being secured and she is living elsewhere, being loath to stay on the boat.
Nuneaton has been getting a bad reputation recently, so it seems it joins the many other areas where it is not longer safe to moor.