Over 20 boats stranded as pound drains away

OVER 20 boats have been left stranded after a pound on the Rochdale Canal drained away.

Once again Canal & River Trust state this is because a boater left a gate open and the pound drained away, Janet Friend reports.

Not possible

But this of course is not possible as the top gate would have to have been closed, thus not allowing the pound to drain

The trust also told the BBC that 'Lock 7 was broken and should not have been used but another boater had opened it to pass through, causing the water to drain away'.

The trust now state it has created a 'temporary fix' after it was noticed that water was leaking through the lock but it had been undone by another boater!

Boater Jay Dykes told the BBC:

"A cruiser came through, they had been stuck at Lock 27 in Todmorden for two weeks, getting more and more enraged.

"I offered to help him with the lock, but said you know that if you go through you can't get any further. He said it had been fixed, but it hadn't.

"I heard he was speeding all the way from Lock 27 and left every lock [gate] open."

"There is a problem with that guy, but the real reason is CRT's lack of maintenance.

"It shouldn't have leaked like that."

It would seem the Rochdale is something of a no-go at this time...