Three more stoppages yesterday

YESTERDAY SAW three more stoppages on the waterways.

Pocklington Canal, Lee Navigation and of course the Leeds & Liverpool all have problems, Keith Gudgin reports.

Pocklington Canal gets its water from Pocklington Beck, that is 'extremely low' due to the reduced rainfall within the catchment area over the last few months, Canal & River Trust state. They also blame the sluices being left open as part of the problem. So two reasons for closure.

Lee Navigation is also closed, this time due, we are told, to broken collar on Dobb's Weir Lock, so the trust have made the decision to close navigation through Dobb's Weir Lock until its team can undertake the necessary repairs. There is no intimation when this will take place.

Leeds & Liverpool

Yet again it is a swing bridge on the Leeds & Liverpool that has failed. This time Bradley Swing Bridge 182a (pictured) that has a power failure and an hydraulic leak—so again two reasons given! Is this the new reason/excuse?

But this is the second time it has failed this month it being closed on the 2nd April.

The swing bridges are now proving a complete menace to boaters on the Leeds & Liverpool with so many failures stopping navigation.

This month alone there have been six! The Bradley twice, Micklethwaite, Dock Lane, Warehouse, and Maghull.

There is definitely something wrong here...

LATEST: Bradley Swing Bridge has been repaired and is working.