POLICE were called in to defuse the latest flare-up in a long-running canal boat saga.
Officers were summoned to Mirfield Marina after barge owners cut down a metal post and demolished part of a wall to get a crane into the boatyard.
The obstructions were put there by Kevin O’Donnell, landlord of the neighbouring Navigation Tavern pub.
He has repeatedly put up barriers on the access road to the yard off Station Road – despite a 2004 Huddersfield County Court order permitting full access for people and vehicles.
Police were called to deal with a complaint of criminal damage yesterday, but they left without taking any action.
A police spokesman said: “This is a complaint about land ownership and is a civil matter, not a police matter.”
Keith White, who has a workshop at the boatyard, said the court costs incurred by the dispute over the metal post ran into five figures.
He said: “It must be the most expensive post in Yorkshire. About £50,000 has been spent on solicitors’ fees alone.”
Boatyard owner Chris Kirk took over the yard nine months ago.
She said she thought the dispute between Mr O’Donnell and the previous owner had been resolved, but she has since spent £2,000 in legal fees.
She added: “I could quite happily walk away from it now, but I can’t afford to – I have three mortgages.
“But it would take very little for the business to go from ticking over to it being gone completely.”
Former children’s television presenter Wilf Lunn has two boats at the marina.
He said: “There’s a court order saying this boatyard has a right of way. He (Mr O’Donnell) went to court to appeal and that got thrown out.
“There has been access since 1800. We can’t operate without a crane, but we only need it once every few months.
“It’s preventing somebody running a legitimate business.”
Mr O’Donnell was appearing at Dewsbury Magistrates’ Court on Friday for an unrelated matter and was unavailable for comment.
