Legendary fighter's caravan stolen

A retired caravan belonging to legendary bare knuckle fighter Bartley Gorman has been stolen by thieves, the Burton Mail reports today (July 29th).

Mr Gorman, a champion prize-fighter who was nicknamed 'the king of the gypsies' due to his remarkable fighting skills, died in January 2002 from liver cancer at the age of 57.

However, his relatives decided to keep the caravan as a lasting memory of the scrapper, but they are now distraught after it was stolen from the grounds of their home in Bypass Road, Uttoxeter.

Mr Gorman's daughter Maria told the newspaper: "When dad first bought the caravan he used to live in it.

"People have asked my family if they can buy it but we would have never sold it. We were keeping it as a memory to my father - it is priceless. We are very upset."

The theft - which underlines the importance of caravan insurance - follows another recent incident which saw the family discover two heroin addicts living in the caravan after spotting a smashed window on the vehicle.

Mr Gorman's story is soon set to hit the big screen, with Burton-based director Shane Meadows, of 'This is England' fame, currently working on a feature film of his life.

29/07/2008 17:22:46