Weather 'too wet' for water sports in Northants

Canoes and pedalos, seen here during drier times, have not been allowed out so far this year

The owner of a canoe and kayak business said bad weather had forced him to postpone opening up for the season.

Canoe2, based at Rushden Lakes in Northamptonshire, was due to open on 29 March but the River Nene has been too dangerous to use.

Even the firm's pedalos cannot operate because the weather is too cold and wet.

The owner said the last few months had felt like "a very long, wet and chilly winter".

Canoe2 is based at the Rushden Lakes retail and leisure park and hires out canoes for use on the River Nene and pedalos for a boating lake.

The firm had intended to open for business more than a week ago, and some people had already made bookings.

Ian Blackwell of Canoe2 said the weather had been too bad for canoes and pedalos to operate

Co-founder Ian Blackwell told BBC Radio Northampton: "The Environment Agency keep a close eye on the river [Nene] and there's a "strong stream" advice in place at the moment which essentially means that the river is unavailable to us.

"This still leaves us with the lake for our pedalos but, so far, we haven't had the weather for that either - it's been either too cold, wet or windy".

He said the water level was certainly "higher for a sustained period at the moment" than usual, and said the team would have to be "patient and wait for things to subside".

He added that he was in constant contact with those who had already made bookings.

The weather has disrupted other outdoor attractions in Northamptonshire, including nature reserves.

Matt Johnson said this year has seen the highest water levels he can remember

Matt Johnson, from the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, said "It's been a really tough winter with the highest water levels that I can remember in the 15 years that I've worked for the Trust, which has had an impact on our wildlife and particularly on our staff trying to get out and repair fences and tracks - all the things that get damaged by the flooding.

"Hibernating animals have been struggling with the wet weather, birds will be as they start to nest, woodland flowers don't do well in waterlogged soil either.

"I suppose you could say it's good weather for ducks".