Horrific Accident with Swing Bridge

A horrific accident has taken place at Buxton Lane Swing Bridge on the Ashton Canal.

A 15-year-old girl has had both legs amputated after becoming trapped between the bridge and the side of the canal. It has been reported that she had been dangling her legs either from the bridge or a concrete wall against which the bridge opened. Her friends pushed the bridge away to release her before the arrival of the emergency services.

The accident is being investigated by British Waterways, the Greater Manchester Police and the Health and Safety Executive.

The bridge is normally locked shut when not being used by a boat. It is not known at this stage whether a boater left the swing bridge unlocked or whether the children had acquired a key.

[Read BBC News report]

Aldwarke Lock re-opens

Aldwarke Lock, on the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation between Rotherham and Swinton, has now been repaired and will re-open from 14th June.

The navigation has been closed since June 1st after the top gates were damaged and had to be removed for repair off site. [See earlier report]

Huddersfield Narrow closed

The Huddersfield Narrow Canal is currently closed because of a problem at Lock 13w in Mossley.

The lock has suffered damage to the tail gate cill and has been closed to through navigation between locks 14w & 8w.

British Waterways estimates that the repair work will be completed by Sunday 8th June.

For enquiries about this stoppage, contact British Waterways on 01942 405700.

Update: June 8th 2008
The lock cill has been repaired and the canal has now re-opened to navigation.

Sheffield & South Yorkshire closed

The Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation is currently closed because of a problem at Aldwarke Lock, between Rotherham and Swinton..

The top lock gates at Aldwarke have sustained damage and the lock is inoperable. For boaters' safety, the navigation has been closed between Eastwood and Kilnhurst.

An update will be issued on Wednesday 4th June.

Update: June 4th 2008

A top lock gate has been removed to be repaired off site, which will take about one week, after which it will need to be re-installed.

Update: June 4th 2008

The repairs are now complete and the navigation will re-open from June 14th.



For enquiries about this stoppage, contact British Waterways on 0113 281 6860.

More Tree Trouble Blocks Canals

Two more canals have been blocked by fallen trees, weakened by the high winds of last week.

The towpath and navigation of the Peak Forest Canal has been closed by a tree that has fallen on the north side of Hyde Bank Tunnel (about a mile from Marple Locks).

A fallen tree is blocking the Rochdale Canal near Bridge 6 at Luddenden Foot, about 2 miles west of Sowerby Bridge. This blockage is expected to have been cleared later this afternoon.

For enquiries about these stoppages, contact British Waterways on 01942 405700.