Boaters muck in

BOATERS have been giving their services to Canal & River Trust to alleviate the flooded Oxford (pictured) and Grand Union canals, by clearing culverts and weirs of debris that has been carried in by the excess water.

Together with maintenance teams they have managed to get the water levels down, especially where the Cherwell is concerned, and moving the debris has allowed the water to get away, which will help now that it is raining once again, Alan Tilbury tells us.

Working around the clock

Jeff Whyatt, Waterway Manager for the Canal & River Trust, explained:

"My team has been working around the clock this weekend trying to prevent any further flooding along the Grand Union and Oxford Canal. They dealt with a huge amount of calls from concerned local residents and it's thanks to their efforts that we are now starting to see the flooding situation start to improve and have now reopened the Grand Union Canal.

"Although the situation is getting better, we aren't out of the woods yet as the water levels are still high, the towpaths are still very wet and parts of the southern section of the Oxford Canal are still impassable. In the next few days, providing we don't get more rain, we are hoping that the canals should be back to normal."

The Thames however is completely closed, with flooding along most of its length.