by Alex Claridge

It's oars at dawn as rival punt operators clash over rights to the River Stour.

A new firm from Cambridge has set up on steps at Stour Street, which lead to the river close to the Greyfriars’ Garden and are touting for business in the High Street.

They are competing for punters against Canterbury Historic River Tours, which has been in the city for 76 years.

Police were called to an incident last week when a boat belonging to the operators from Cambridge collided with a boat from the Canterbury Historic River Tours.

Boss, Carey Miles, fears a host of problems will be caused by the arrival of the operators from Cambridge.

“Obviously, we’ve already had a couple of run-ins with them,” Mr Miles said. “This part of the river simply isn’t big enough for two operators and I am most concerned about the safety of my customers.

“Cambridge has seen a lot of trouble between rival boat operators and I don’t want that to happen here, but the river Cam is much wider than the Stour.”
Rod Macleod, who runs the punts along the Stour in the Westgate Gardens, said: “My relationship with the Canterbury Historic River Tours is fine, but I fear what kind of trouble these new operators might bring.”

Last month the Daily Telegraph reported that police had been called 31 times between July 2007 and April of this year to deal with squabbles between rival operators in Cambridge.

Trouble flared in Canterbury on Tuesday when the Cambridge operators stood by the Historic River Tours on the Weavers Bridge and touted for the same customers.

Canterbury police confirmed they had already been called to an incident involving boats from rival operators on the Stour.

Ashley Dalton is the director of Water Lane Punts, the firm which has moved on to the Stour this summer.

He said he had tried to avoid the problems in Cambridge and had come to Canterbury “partly to escape them”.

“I tried to steer clear of that, I have been a victim myself of the more unscrupulous operators up there,” he said.

“But it’s not just about making money and I haven’t come down here for any other reason other than I want to give people river tours through an absolutely beautiful city.

“We only have one boat and I don’t think we are going to be affecting Canterbury Historic River Tours, but I’ll admit that since we got here it’s not been easy, in fact it’s been unpleasant.”