Police arrest river canoeist

A Shropshire canoeist has been arrested after allegedly failing to pay to paddle along a stretch of river.Nigel Conway, of Shrewsbury Canoe Club, was arrested following a dispute between canoeists and a paddlesport company over rights of access along a section of the River Dee. North Wales Police said an investigation was now under way into the incident.

It allegedly happened on a section of river attached to land owned by JJ Canoeing and Rafting (JJ's) at Llangollen.

Inspector Tony Wan said: "A person has been arrested and has been bailed to Wrexham Police Station in July."

Mr Conway, 32, of Bayston Hill, near Shrewsbury, said he was arrested by police while locking up a nearby shop he works at in Llangollen last week.

He said: "Paddlers in general have a problem over access to open water. It happens to be myself who has taken a stand and the canoe club is supporting me by boycotting that stretch of the Dee until the issue has been resolved.

"Canoeists in general all feel aggrieved they are being forcibly charged to use the water and threatened with legal action if they don't pay for it. I do help out Shrewsbury Canoe Club with coaching so it's a bit of a sad state of affairs to be honest."

Mr Conway said he had been arrested on suspicion of an offence under the Fraud Act.

David Butler, committee member for Shrewsbury Canoe Club, claimed owner of JJ's, Jimmy Jayes, was attempting to charge people to use a section of the river even if they were passing through and not using his facilities.

The club claims the centre wants to charge canoeists between £3 and £5.

Mr Butler said: "This may prove to be an important test case. If paddlers are right and there is a right to paddle any navigable river that is a very important statement.

"But if the landowners are entitled to say you must pay £5 and if you don't a policeman will be waiting for you at the bottom with a pair of handcuffs that is also a very important development because it will criminalise a major area of the sport."