We’ve been given the runaround over safety, says dad
PROTEST DEMANDS ACTION ON CANALS
THE dad of a Northumberland teenager who was found dead in a Manchester canal has issued a rallying call during a protest.
Tragic Charlie Pope’s father Nick, of Ponteland, claims they have so far been ‘given the run around’ by the authorities and urged supporters and Manchester residents to keep plugging away until something is done to prevent people falling into the city’s canals.
He has criticised the lack of action and responsibility taken by authorities, including the Canal and River Trust, to improve safety following his son’s death.
More than 100 people gathered in Albert Square on Sunday for the #Make Charlie The Last rally where a minute’s silence was held for Charlie, who was 19 when he died, and other people who have lost their lives after ending up in the waterways over recent years.
The rally then marched to Rochdale Canal, off Whitworth Street West, where Charlie’s body was recovered on March 2.
An online petition calling for barriers to be put up has gathered nearly 55,000 signatures.
Nick, 53, travelled down with supporters from the North East and urged them to ‘not give up.’
Speaking to the crowd at the rally, he said: “It’s only through things like this that we will hopefully get something done.
“There is quite a resistance to putting safety measures and barriers on the canal. I don’t know why.
“I wasn’t aware how some of these spots on the canal are. There are large stretches of the canal that are just totally unprotected.
“The biggest problem I’ve had since we kicked it off was we just get the runaround.
“Nobody wants to seem to take ultimate responsibility between the council, Canal and River Trust, the Peel Group. There’s a lot of stakeholders involved.
“It’s your city. It belongs to you. If you want things to be changed I would urge you to not give up.
“We won’t give up. Not until it’s made safe. We have had some successes and things have started to turn. Let’s keep the pressure on.
“If they won’t do anything through inertia then let’s just irritate them to death until they just give up and say ‘right, shut up, we’ll do it.’ We can only do that with your help.”
Charlie was living in West Didsbury during his studies at the University of Manchester
This month, Charlie would have been celebrating his 20th birthday and finishing his first year at university.
Alona Ainsworth, from Salford, began her online campaign after Charlie’s body was recovered from the canal.
Speaking at the rally, the 29-year-old mental health worker said: “When someone goes missing you instantly know they are going to be found in a canal or any of the waterways around Manchester.
“When it happened to Charlie I just felt enough is enough. It’s a problem that’s gone on for a long, long time.”
City centre councillor Pat Karney said the Canal and River Trust owns all the canal systems in Greater Manchester and the council has called for a full safety review following Charlie’s death.
He said: “I have spoken also with the Mayor Andy Burnham about other initiatives to improve safety and the council have pledged to support them.
“We have done initiatives with all the bars and nightclubs around that area where Charlie unfortunately went in to get people more canal and water safe.”
The Canal and River Trust have been contacted for comment.