The 4mph boat on the run

It is 15metres long and crawls along at a top speed of 4mph – but police have spent three weeks searching for a missing barge.

David King was due to return narrowboat Holly to a depot in Middlewich, Cheshire, on March 23 – but there is no sign of him, despite the efforts of two police forces and British Waterways.

Mr King told owner Adam Foskett he was heading for Llangollen, near Wrexham, but he was last seen in Market Drayton, Shropshire, on March 20.



There is even some confusion as to who should be searching for him. A Hertfordshire Police spokesman insisted: 'It's nothing to do with us. If the boat went missing in Cheshire you should try them.'

But a Cheshire Police spokesman replied: 'Herts are taking the lead because the missing person comes from there.'

He added: 'We have a Cessna plane which has been searching with no luck.'