A PENSIONER said he was “disgusted” after a group of men fishing in the river made threatening gestures at him.
Paul Smith said he was walking near the River Severn in Worcester on Thursday afternoon (September 3) when he noticed the group of men on a boat fishing in the swan sanctuary area.
He said he called out to the group to inform them that fishing is prohibited in this area, a rule that is made clear by signs on railings in the area.
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‘They weren’t joking’
The 69-year-old said the men became threatening, making throat-slicing and punching gestures.
He said they also started threatening to beat him up when they got off the boat.
“They weren’t joking,” Mr Smith said. “I was disgusted because they didn’t seem to give a damn about the rules about the swans.
“I was apprehensive because I didn’t know if they were carrying knives or anything.”
BAN: Fishing is prohibited in the swan sanctuary area of the River Severn (Image: Supplied)
As directed by the ‘no fishing’ sign, he called police on 101, and said he also reported the men’s threatening behaviour.
Mr Smith said he also made the call handler aware that he was being threatened.
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Disappointed by police response
He made the call at 1.03pm and was on the phone for several minutes. After 45 minutes, he left the area when police still hadn’t arrived.
West Mercia Police has confirmed that officers attended the scene at 2.07pm.
“I waited 45 minutes for police,” Mr Smith said. “They never turned up. I even tried to flag a police car down.”
INCIDENT: Paul Smith said he was ‘disgusted’ by the men’s actions and ‘disappointed’ in the police response (Image: NQ)
The force said the call was deemed ‘Grade 2’, meaning officers should attend within two hours.
When they did arrive, officers spoke to “potential witnesses” but no suspects have been found.
“Officers received reports of anti-social behaviour and illegal fishing on the River Severn yesterday, shortly after 1pm yesterday,” a West Mercia Police spokesperson said.
“All incidents reported to us are assessed according to the level of risk and harm they present to the public, this ensures our resources are directed the quickest to those who need them the most.
“This incident was assessed as a Grade 2 response, requiring attendance within two hours.
“Officers arrived at the location within one hour of the report being received, carried out a search and spoke to a number of potential witnesses.
“No arrests have been made in connection to the matter.
“Anyone who wishes to report anti-social behaviour is advised to contact their local safer neighbourhood team.”
