Campaigners gather in Birmingham to urge government to fund waterways

Members of Fund Britain's Waterways gathered on the canal outside the Mailbox in Birmingham

A flotilla of campaigners have gathered on a Birmingham canal to call for improved protection of the waterways.

Members of Fund Britain's Waterways gathered on canal frontage next to the Mailbox from 12:00 BST on Sunday.

The coalition group represents over 50 organisations, boaters and anglers, who are calling for more government funding to help maintain the waterways.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) have been approached for comment.

Ivor Caplan said the 250-year-old canals needed to be maintained and restored

Ivor Caplan, from the Inland Waterways Association (IWA), said the event had been organised to ensure "wonderful canals" were kept for the future.

An event had been organised following a government review in July, which plans to reduce the grant given to The Canal and River Trust (C&RT).

The trust looks after 2,000 miles of waterways across England and Wales, but could see its public funding reduced by £300m from 2027.

The group are calling fore more government funding for charities that maintain the waterways

A report, published by Defra on 11 July, said the trust had "so far demonstrated value for money", but added: "We should go further in moving them into a position of reduced reliance on government funding."

The C&RT said canals supported 80,000 jobs and had contributed £1.5bn annually to the economy, warning that cuts would have a "potentially devastating impact" on the ability to care for the waterways and its heritage.

Mr Caplan, who was one of the organisers of the event, said the canals were "good" for businesses, local people, visitors and tourists.

"Fifty years ago, the whole of Birmingham canals were derelict, and thanks to the foresightedness of Birmingham people, helped by volunteers, we have this wonderful success story that we all see now," he explained.

He described the "lack of government funding in the future" as a "serious matter."

"These are 250-year-old systems of canals, and they need to be maintained and they need to be restored," he added.

"And really we've got to make people aware that everything they see around us today that's so wonderful, could be lost in the future."