Waterway fenced off

Published: Thursday, 12 January 2012

THE section of the canal where a eight years old boy went through undergrowth, fell into the water and drowned has been fenced off.

Matthew Cartwright fell into the Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation at Mexborough last year as he did not see the water owing to the vegetation.

British Waterways have now planted extra vegetation along the canal bank together with temporary fencing to prevent people from getting to the edge.

More than 800 people signed a petition calling for safety measures to prevent a further accident, with a campaigner, Tracey Davies, commenting:

"The extra vegetation should stop people from being able to get into the water."

However, if vegetation prevented the boy from seeing the water, planting more vegetation would make the situation more dangerous.

A memorial bench and a stone with his name are to be erected at the place where he drowned.