Marathon looters grab water bottles meant for runners
LOOTERS used shopping trolleys to steal hundreds of bottles of water meant for London Marathon runners yesterday.
Video footage shows dozens of people – including children – grabbing pallets of water bottles intended for thirsty runners around the eight-mile mark of the race.
At least one race marshal stands by, apparently helpless as onlookers descend on the water station.
The theft of the Buxton mineral water was described as ‘disappointing’ by organisers.
Runners are visible passing along the route, in Deptford, South East London, as the chaotic scenes unfold behind them. Although yesterday was cold and wet in the capital, drinking regularly is crucial and many participants plan their marathon on the basis of water breaks along the 26.2mile route.
Parents and children can be seen reaching into crates filled with multi-packs of bottled water and putting them into bags, shopping trolleys and even on top of pushchairs.
Some people are seen pushing over the top of each other, grabbing what they can.
Last night, Scotland Yard said police were investigating to see whether a crime had been committed. A Met spokesman said: ‘We are aware of the footage but no complaint of theft has been made. No arrests have been made.’
The incident seems to have been filmed by one of the water station volunteers and posted on Facebook.
Speaking in the video, the man says: ‘Obviously hard times in Deptford. Although the last coach has gone past, so the marathon runners are on their own, it’s quite a sad state.’
One bystander said: ‘People just crowded around the water and started taking it. The marathon was still going on. It was really bad to see.’
Hugh Brasher, event director for London Marathon Events Ltd, said: ‘It’s very disappointing to see water being stolen in this way from the official water stations for our runners. These stations are staffed by volunteers and we are very grateful to them for their work.
‘We always brief our volunteers not to get into altercations if this kind of thing happens. We’ll investigate this.’
The footage provoked angry reaction on social media. One user posted: ‘That video of people in Deptford pinching all the water for the #LondonMarathon is absolutely vile! They should be ashamed of themselves!!’
Another commented: ‘Wow, that video of the locals in Deptford stealing bottled water meant to be for the marathon runners. Animals.’
A London Marathon source said the bottles were taken towards the end of the race, when only the runners at the back were passing though and no participants were deprived of water.
Meanwhile, an Eritrean refugee who claimed asylum in Scotland to escape conscription has qualified to represent Great Britain at the Rio Olympics after a star performance in the race.
Tsegai Tewelde was one of six athletes from Eritrea who absconded during the World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh in 2008.
Tewelde, 26, who is now a UK citizen and lives in Glasgow, finished as the second fastest Briton, confirming his spot at the Games in Brazil.
He finishing twelfth in 2:12:23 – just behind Scot Callum Hawkins, of Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire, who was the first Briton home in 2:10.52. The marathon doubled as an official British Olympic trial.
The third Briton home, Hawkins’ elder brother Derek, could also be selected for Rio. Trio on road to Rio – Page 68