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Canoeist faces no charges
Wednesday 30th July 2008, 11:50AM BST.
A Shropshire canoeist who was arrested after allegedly failing to pay to paddle down a stretch of river has been told by police he will not face any charges.Nigel Conway, of Shrewsbury Canoe Club, was arrested last month following a row between himself and JJ Canoeing and Rafting Ltd (JJ’s) at Llangollen, over access to a stretch of the River Dee attached to land owned by the firm.
The club claims the firm wants to charge canoeists to launch from the site or for paddling past the centre.
Mr Conway, 32, of Bayston Hill, near Shrewsbury, was arrested on suspicion of obtaining services dishonestly. But he has now received a call from North Wales police telling him he will not face prosecution.
He said: “Open water should remain open to everyone.”
A statement from the firm said: “This does not in any way preclude a civil case from being launched, or prevent any other person … from being found guilty in the future.”
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What a joke, you have to pay to paddle. I once let my dog swim in the river severn near Atcham, other people were using the river and had dogs, there were no signs, but this man screamed at us all to get out and away from the bank because it was a fishing area and we would need a licence. It was part of the severn way and none of us at the time thought we were in the wrong. This man (with his little badge) said he would call the police. I didn’t see a single fisherman that day.
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I didn’t realise that anyone owned the river. I’ve paddle along around Shrewsbury and certainly didn’t think i could get arrested. JJ Canoeing should lighten up.
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I don’t understand why he would be arrested for paddling along the river? I’m glad he won’t be facing charges.
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next they would say he was breaking the speed limit or on the wrond side ofthe river, or even more stupd,he had no lights!!nearly all rivers are classed as a public right of way,just because some owns part of the river,doesnt mean to say its a right of way,i could buy a footpath,but i couldnt stop people from using it.
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quite right to, as a canoeist i have never heard of anything quite so ridiculous as being charged to paddle down a river, if jj rafting did actually pay any money for this natural stretch of water then more fool them.
I wonder if they pay anything towards the maintenance of this stretch of Dee as they seem so eager to collect a toll…
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I`m not suprised no action was taken,this was never a Police matter and I believe JJ`s will stuggle to enforce it as a civil one.
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If this man was formally arrested, ie deprived of his liberty and stopped from going about his normal affairs or exercising choices then he should be consulting a solicitor with a view to bringing proceedings against the Police. It seems that common-sence, once the absolute byword of the Police in days gone by, is now an unknown factor to them. These arrest crazy people should be stopped once and for all. We live in Britain for god’s sake not North Korea or similar.
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Good job he was holding his breath at the time or they might have sued him for taking their air!!!!
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What a joke, glad the charges have been dropped.
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it is free to white water raft on the shrewsbury canal at the moment, but bring your own water!!
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