A LOCK on the Montgomery Canal has been put completely out of action, it is believed by vandals.
A boater emptying one of the Belan Locks above Welshpool on the canal suddenly realised that its gate was falling off, and jumped quickly out of the way, then discovered that the collar holding the gate had been removed, so once the pressure of water holding it was released, the gate fell into the lock, Alan Tilbury tells us.
Sitting on the beam
Alan Barnes was actually sitting on the balance beam when he felt it give way, managing to escape as the whole gate fell into the lock.
This means that the waterway is closed at the lock until the gate can be replaced, there being no navigation between Welshpool and the restored section at Newtown, and stops the trip boat operated by the Healwen Trust that provides free trips for children and disabled people.