Drained Trent and Mersey Canal blamed on vandals seeking likes

Vandals “motivated by social media likes” have been blamed for draining a stretch of canal.

The Canal and River Trust (CRT) said it was dealing with the after-effects of people purposefully draining water from the Trent and Mersey Canal on the Staffordshire/Cheshire border, near Kidsgrove, on Saturday.

The incident involved a two-mile stretch of the waterway between locks 44 and 54, the trust said, with every lock being opened.

Cheshire Police confirmed it was made aware of the incident, which was believed to have happened between 21:00 and 22:00 BST, and inquiries were ongoing.

The stretch of canal has since refilled but the CRT said the issue could have caused “massive problems” for boats moored in the area and wildlife living in the water.

“We believe that this vandalism is motivated by people looking for social media likes,” a trust spokesperson added.

Despite the refill, the locks along the stretch had been closed to navigation due to very little water being left in the supplying reservoirs, the trust said.

In response to the vandalism, officials chained and padlocked the locks to “save what water we have left”.

“Another incident like this could be devastating,” the trust spokesperson said. “Please respect any advice signs, which are in place to keep people safe and protect the canal.”

A Cheshire Police spokesperson said anyone who had any information on the incident should get in touch via 101 or the force website.