Broken lock gate to be fixed after boats marooned

The water levels are now rising on the Rochdale Canal, the Canal and River Trust said

Repairs to a leaking lock gate are to begin next week after boaters became stranded when the waterway ran dry.

Several boats were marooned between Lock 7 and 8 on the Rochdale Canal in Hebden Bridge when the faulty gate was left open and the water drained away.

The Canal and River Trust (CRT) said the lock had been temporarily fixed but needed full repair.

A spokesperson said it planned to install a fabric dam on Friday to allow the damage to be assessed with a repair programme set to begin on Monday.

Large parts of the canal are now just mud, after the water drained away

Water levels have now risen and are continuing to improve, the CRT said.

The spokesperson added: "We appreciate this is a difficult time for the boaters affected.

"Our priority is to return water levels for moored boats and to get the lock back in service as quickly as possible."

"A temporary fabric dam, which will keep the lock itself free of water and allow our teams to assess the damage and make the repair, is due to be installed tomorrow.

"We will share further details about repair timescales as soon as we can."

The CRT said Lock 7 was broken and should not have been used but another boater had opened it to pass through, causing the water to drain away.

Some boaters have criticised the charity, which looks after the waterway, for not taking more steps to ensure the lock could not be opened.

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