Local community support officers join visitors at annual boat show

Members of the Daventry Neighbourhood Policing Team were on duty at this year’s Crick Boat Show which saw more than 26,000 visitors flocking to the event over the bank holiday weekend (May 25-27).

Police Community Support Officers Les Conopo and Duncan Cumming joined the crowds for the annual event at Crick Marina as the UK’s biggest inland waterways festival celebrated its 20th anniversary.

Organised by the publishers of Waterways World magazine in partnership with the Canal & River Trust, a trade and preview day was held on Friday (May 24), before the event opened to the public on Saturday (May 25).

PCSO Conopo said: “The Crick Boat Show attracts thousands of visitors from the UK and beyond, so we want to make sure that everyone remembers their visit to our county for all the right reasons.

“High-visibility patrols enable us to not only offer reassurance to those attending the event but also provides the opportunity for us to be more accessible to visitors who would like to speak to us.”

On Sunday (May 26) and Bank Holiday Monday (May 27), the Neighbourhood team were joined by members of the Daventry Unit of the Northamptonshire Emergency Services Cadets, who carried out crime prevention checks.

PCSO Conopo added: “It was great to have the support of the cadets. They carried out crime prevention checks in the car parks, reporting an incidents of items being left on show in vehicles or insecurities, to the organisers.”

Over the three-day event, visitors to the show had the opportunity to enjoy free boat trips, live music and children activities as well as visit more than 250 exhibitor stands.