Vandals saw off replacement lock beam

WHAT seems like a senseless act of vandalism, the new lock balance beam replacing the one sawn off one on the Walsall Canal has also been sawn off and taken.

It was last week that the lock balance beam of Lock 1 of the flight of locks on the Walsall Canal was sawn off, preventing navigation, Keith Gudgin tells us.

During the night

Though Canal & River Trust quickly replaced the beam, it was discovered this morning that this balance beam too has been sawn off and taken away sometime during the night.

Being so heavy, this is obviously not children vandalising the lock, but adults seeming wanting the timber.

A quandary

This means that again the navigation has to be closed, leaving the Trust in a quandary as to replacing the beam yet again.