Paddles 'falling' like ninepins!

TIME and time again we learn of the failure of paddles closing waterways.

And there have been three more such closures this week so far, Keith Gudgin reports.

Bosley Flight on the Macclesfield Canal has had such a failure on Lock 8, closing the flight with a team on the way to investigate the issue.

The Aire & Calder Navigation Main Line is closed at Woodlesford Lock 5 with a Sluice (paddle) failure that has made the lock inoperable.

Specialist contractors

Now a broken paddle closes the Weaver at Saltersford Large Lock, with this time the team liaising with specialist contractors to create a method of repair.

This makes six locks having been closed by paddle failures this month with no less that nine paddle failures in July!

There is certainly a problem—a big one.