Narrowboat owner 'devastated' by vandalism

A man said he was "devastated" after his narrowboat was burgled and vandalised.

Wayne Siverns, who has lived on boats for more than 50 years, said he was moored on Wordsley Junction on the Stourbridge canal before the incident happened.

Police said that the narrowboat was burgled on Kinver Street, Dudley, between 22:00 BST on 9 October and 06:30 on 10 October.

Mr Siverns returned from meeting with friends when he found his boat had been burgled, and after going on a walk to "process everything", he returned to find the graffiti.

“I’m probably not going to moor in Stourbridge again," he said.

A range of items had been stolen from the boat including a Victorian school bell, two vintage lamps and 30 brass whistles, Mr Siverns added.

Mr Sivern's friend Della Sadler-Moore said that the narrowboat community had rallied around him to help.

“He’s been left absolutely distraught by this, it’s his home," she said.