IT IS believed that it was vandals opening the paddles on the Caen Hill Flight on the Kennet & Avon Canal that caused excessive damage to the towpath.
The Gazette & Herald picture shows part of the damage, that will be very expensive to repair, with the various service pipes exposed, Chris Gibson tells us.
Opened overnight
The paddles of the Caen Hill flight, were opened overnight on Sunday, and the water released caused the embankment below the locks to collapse, leaving huge holes in the towpath's surface.
A Canal & River Trust spokesman tells us that repairing the excessive damage could run into six figures.
With the Croften Flight paddles also, it is understood, left open overnight, it was obviously a deliberate act of vandalism.