What caused the damage?

THE Canal & River Trust told that the gates on Swarkestone Lock (5) had been caused due to a 'boat impact'.

The broad lock on the Trent & Mersey Canal was left damaged on Thursday 10th February and inoperable, but Yesterday, Tuesday the contractors appeared and fixed it, with the lock then reopened for navigation, Keith Gudgin reports.

Collar given way

Examining the gate, as can be seen from our photograph, the collar had given way with the gate falling over, and though a boat was blamed for the damage of breaking the gate off, a boat would hardly be able to create enough energy in the confines of a lock to break off a gate, especially a heavy broad lock gate.

It was a worker who pointed out that the collar was in poor condition and had broken off as a boat had pushed open the gate instead, wrongly of course, as the gate should have been first opened by a crew member.