Theft of boats and equipment leaves Matlock canoe club with sinking feeling

The plastic kayaks, which the club uses to run its beginner courses, were taken along with around 25 paddles, spraydecks and other bits of kit from a previously secure container in a fenced-off compound near the base entrance to the Heights of Abraham.

The robbery took place sometime between noon and 6pm on Tuesday, July 5, and would likely have required tools and vehicle, which may have caught the attention of witnesses coming and going from the Heights of the train station next door.

Club secretary Donna Hawkins said: “Whoever did this knew what they were doing. They didn’t just stumble across it. There would probably have been hundreds of people around.

“They might have waited for a quiet moment to use an angle grinder on the gate but people probably wouldn’t think twice seeing boats being loaded into a van.”

Donna was called to the scene by staff from the Heights and then flagged down a passing police community support officer.

With more people taking up paddlesports during the pandemic, the market for second-hand canoes is currently booming. Boats can sell for hundreds of pounds a time.

The missing kayaks include two blue and white Dagger Dynamos, four blue Piranha Masters, one orange and one blue-green Dagger RPM, a yellow Dagger GTX and orange Dagger Redline.

Donna said: “They left the slalom boats which would be harder to get rid of, but these ones go on eBay all the time.”

The loss comes at a particularly frustrating moment for the club, which is part way through running its first beginner course since 2019.

Donna said: “It’s the demoralisation factor as much as anything. We’re working out the insurance situation but we’re very grateful to have received a donation of £500 from a local business and offers of spare boats.”

A spokesperson for Derbyshire Police said: “Enquiries are ongoing and we would like to hear from anyone who may have noticed anything suspicious, or with any information which could help. Please contact us on 101 or online non-emergency channels, quoting reference 22000368860.”