Boaters grab land for mooring

A GROUP of resident boaters, calling themselves 'Friends of Castle Mill Stream' have taken possession of a strip of bank on telling that it is now their property.

They have moored five boats on a length of bank on Castle Mill Stream, that runs alongside the  Oxford Canal, at Jericho, and have erected a sigh stating it is now their land.

Illegal

This is of course illegal, as the law clearly states that such property must first be in their possession for 12 years before it can be claimed, which it has not been.  The notice also states that '30,000 live aboard their boats in the UK', which is untrue, as the entire total of boats on the waterways only just exceeds this number.

There have been two narrowboats on the river for some time, but the five have only arrived recently and taken unlawful possession.

No rights

There is a the Unlawfully Moored Boats Enforcement Group (UMBEG) operating in the city, and the matter has been referred for enforcement. Canal & River Trust has also been contacted, with a spokesman stating the sign has little legal merit and does not show the boaters have rights to ownership of the land.

We are told the actual owner of the land could take legal proceedings and include claims for trespass and even criminal damage. If the owner is successful, the squatters could be responsible for all legal costs.