Public Support Enables Police to Recover Stolen Narrowboat Despite Disguise

Police reported that a stolen narrowboat was successfully located, even after thieves repainted it and transported it many miles from its original location, crediting Facebook’s reach for the recovery. According to Warwickshire Police, the 40ft (12m) vessel was stolen sometime between November 8 and 13 from the Wilmcote area, situated near Stratford-upon-Avon. Authorities quickly determined that, despite the inherent low speed of narrowboats, the potential search area was vast. However, a public appeal launched on Facebook generated hundreds of leads within 24 hours, enabling the boat to be traced across various regions until its discovery in Gloucester on Thursday. Officers stated that during its transit, the boat’s original red and black colors were changed to white “in an attempt to disguise her.” Reports of the stolen craft’s whereabouts were received from Stratford, Bidford-on-Avon, and Tewkesbury as it traversed multiple counties. The conclusive tip-off indicated that the vessel had passed through a lock into the Gloucester Dock area at midday on Thursday. Subsequently, personnel from the National Waterways Museum in Gloucester, having been informed of the theft and the most recent sighting, searched the local towpaths and located the boat. Although no individuals were found aboard the boat, detectives expressed confidence, stating, “it won’t be long before we’re having a chat with them face to face.” The police force commended the hundreds of thousands of individuals who viewed the initial Facebook post for their assistance. A spokesperson further elaborated, “The short of it is, we could not have found the boat without the incredible response from the people that live and work on or near the waterways, as well as the many other agencies that we are fortunate enough to work with.”