stourportlocks.JPG

The mud hopper that went through the lock gates In the 1970's an inexperienced contractor

was dredging the basin. He was using a tug to move a 'hopper' – a flat-bottomed boat full of the mud and rubbish being

dredged from the basin. As he was manoeuvring the hopper towards the lockgates, he pushed it too hard and it hit

the lock gates, smashing straight through them. The hopper shot into the river and

started to float downstream! All the water in the basins drained out and both sets of lock gates were completely destroyed.