River Erewash drained

[iteldoo4me]

STRANDED: BUT WERE VANDALS TO BLAME?

(from Evening Post Nottingham)

 

12:00 - 27 June 2006

 

Two boats were stranded on a canal bed after two lock paddles were left open.

 

A narrowboat and a small cruiser could be seen tipping to one side after coming to rest on the muddy bed of Erewash Canal.

 

Shopping trolleys and bikes were submerged in the mud, despite the canal being dredged just two years ago.

 

British Waterways engineers were called out to close the paddles and allow the lock near Milner Road, Long Eaton. The locks were apparently left open overnight on Sunday - although whether it was done intentionally by vandals or accidentally by a boater remains unclear.

 

Marc Lovett, who lives in nearby Cranmer Street, was walking his dog at 8.15am yesterday when he noticed the problem.

 

"The water level had dropped really low. All the bank had gone black," he said. "There were two boats on there. There was one narrowboat and a little cruiser sitting on the mud.

 

"It was almost surreal. You could see all the rubbish in the canal.

 

"The canal was dredged two years ago but you wouldn't think so seeing the mess there. There were bikes and supermarket trolleys and all sorts."

 

Mr Lovett, who owns a narrowboat which is moored at Shardlow Marina, said the water level had dropped by about five feet.

 

He was convinced the locks had been opened by vandals.

 

"A lock is just a step down. If someone opens the top and bottom gate they do it deliberately and people who own narrow boats don't do that.

 

"It must have been done by kids."

 

But Stephen Hardy, a spokesman for British Waterways, said it was not possible to tell how it had happened.

 

"We believe somebody has left one of the paddles on one of the locks open," he said. "That has let the water flow through which has caused the water to drop by about two feet.

 

"We are not in a position to say who did it - whether it was a boater or vandals. I have been assured it is not necessarily unusual for a boater to forget to close the paddles."

 

He added that although a special key called a windlass was needed to open the gate, it was possible that another implement could have been used by vandals.

 

Mr Hardy said the British Waterways maintenance team was working on getting the water level back to normal to minimise disruption.

[allybsc]

STRANDED: BUT WERE VANDALS TO BLAME?

(from Evening Post Nottingham)

 

12:00 - 27 June 2006

Shopping trolleys and bikes were submerged in the mud, despite the canal being dredged just two years ago.

Mr Hardy said the British Waterways maintenance team was working on getting the water level back to normal to minimise disruption.

 

Ah, but did they take the opportunity to get the crap out before it was refilled

Regards,

Ally p.

[Moley]

Ah, but did they take the opportunity to get the crap out before it was refilled?

That would be far too sensible and obvious.

 

I seriously doubt they'd have the gumption