Hundreds of trees blocking canals after storm

The Canal & River Trust has been removing trees from 500 miles of waterway, including in Bromsgrove

The impact of Storm Darragh is continuing to be felt, nearly a week after it caused devastation to much of the country.

In the wake of the storm, the Canal & River Trust has been working to clear hundreds of trees which were brought down and continue to block waterways in the West Midlands.

The charity said the storm left a "trail of carnage", felling at least 400 trees along 500 miles of canal.

"Thousands of people use our waterways every day, and obviously when a storm comes through like this, it blocks navigation," said Richard Preston, the trust's regional operations manager.

"Lots of people live on their boats so it prevents them from getting to waterpoints and essential services," he said.

"It might even impact their boat directly, so it's really important that we clear them as quickly as possible."

The Canal & River Trust's Richard Preston said fallen trees meant people were unable to navigate waterways

The trust said across the region, 250 trees still needed to be removed.

Speaking at a clear-up operation in Bromsgrove, Mr Preston said £100,000 had been spent so far on paying contractors to remove debris.

"And that is money that, as a charity, the Canal & River Trust can't really afford to be diverting away onto storm damage, because it takes it away from other essential repairs that we need to carry out," he said.

This tree on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal was one of 400 brought down over waterways in the West Midlands

The blockages have also stopped people getting to marinas where they had planned to moor for the winter.

Nick Parkes, manager at Droitwich Spa Marina, said: "[We've had] quite a few customers still trying to make their way in for the winter period.

"We've got people stuck further north that can't get any further because of trees down, obstructing the canal navigation."

The trust said it was hoping to remove all the felled trees by Christmas - weather permitting.