Richard Cordery’s cruiser Bluebird was broken into while moored in the canal centre in Mytchett

A boat owner in Surrey was given a nasty shock after finding
thieves had vandalised his motorboat before cutting it adrift in Mytchett on 10
November.




Richard Cordery, who is featuring in an adaptation of Esio
Trot, Roald Dahl’s novel, with Dustin Hoffman and Dame Judi Dench, said vandals
boarded his boat Bluebird and ripped through
the canopy, before using the boat’s fire extinguisher to break through the
cabin door and steal various items.




Mr Cordery, who had his boat moored in the canal centre in Mytchett,
told getSurrey he was disappointed at the amount of security at the centre.




“It’s going to cost me an awful lot of money, at least a
couple of thousand.




“Had I known about the lack of security, I would not have
entrusted my boat to them.”




He continued, saying he was shocked to discover that the
centre didn’t have basic measures such as security lighting.


“The alarm bells started ringing
when I saw other boats on the canal with boards over the windows. I was told
people had been known to throw stones at the boats.


“The concern I have is now someone’s
done something like this once, it will happen again.”


Hampshire
County Council’s Keith Chapman said about the incident: “All potential boat owners are given
a tour of the site before taking up a new mooring and are made aware of the
levels of security available.


“While we make every effort to keep
moored boats safe, we do advise boat owners they are responsible for the
security of their craft.”


Police officers from the Surrey
Heath Safer Neighbourhood Team have since increased patrols in the area.


Anyone with information is asked to
call Surrey Police on 101 quoting reference 45140095016.