I REALISE that those killings in the Manchester waterways tend to be laid at the door of the gay community that operate along the Rochdale Nine, but the drownings are not all in that area, as the one this week shows, writes James Henry.
Though still firmly in Manchester, Portland Basin is the whole length of the Ashton Canal away from the Rochdale, with the gay drinking area of Canal Street even further away at the bottom of the 'Nine', so perhaps we should all be on our guard.
Vulnerable
Anyone standing by the side of a waterway is vulnerable, as the person will not be on his guard, and can very easily be pushed off balance by a fairly strong man, and what happens next we are not made aware—if the person so attacked is just pushed or hit with something or even held down in the water.
My purpose here is as a warning, not for women, who don't seem to be the target, but for men, that it may not be a good idea to leave your boat for an evening stroll alone along a Manchester waterway, or as possibly silly as it may seem to some, someone has to be the next victim, and you would not want it to be you!
I'm sorry if this upsets those at Canal & River Trust who flog the towpaths as a peaceful haven, for they are certainly not, in Manchester at least.