All major northern canals have closures

WE ARE only in May yet all the three major northern canals have closures.

The Leeds & Liverpool is still closed at Burnley, the Rochdale is closed at Lock 69 and now the Huddersfield Narrow is closed, Keith Gudgin reports.

Cannot be emptied

Paddock Foot Lock was closed yesterday owing to the offside head paddle of Lock 5E in Huddersfield failing, so with the near side paddle already out of action, this of course means that the lock cannot be emptied.

Still only May, so what does the rest of the year portend for the sorry state of the northern waterways?