Narrowboat owners are calling for traditional lock keepers to be brought back along a stretch of canal in the Black Country after a suspected vandal attack.

A 400-metre section of the Stourbridge Canal between two locks was drained after a suspected act of vandalism in the early hours of Saturday morning. Canal users say it is not the first time this part of the canal, near to the Red House Glass Cone attraction, in Wordsley has been targeted.

An emergency team from British Waterways had to be dispatched.

They attended the site in order to repair damage caused and re-water the section.

Stourbridge Navigation Trust (SNT) member Chris Dyche said that this section of canal had been subjected to vandalism in the past.

“It’s a shame this has happened again as this part has been targeted time and time again,” he said.

“It’s hard to know what to do for the best really but it disrupts the use of the canal while it has to be repaired. It would be great to see these lock keepers back because they used to manage the system of locks around here.

“Of course resources are so stretched that it would be tricky as British Waterways have to manage such a wide area.”

The SNT manage and maintain the Bonded Warehouse site, in Canal Street Stourbridge for British Waterways.

Former chairman of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal Society Graham Fisher MBE said the special system of keys used to drain locks could have been broken in this instance.

“Although we do not know for sure, it has been known for kids to mess around with these and release the water from the locks,” he said.

“Something needs to be done because narrowboats are left stranded in the meantime.”

British Waterways spokesman Keith Bradfield said the incident was being treated as possible vandalism to the system of locks.

Narrowboat users in Stourbridge have already had a rollercoaster 12 months after 60ft section of the Stourbridge Canal embankment collapsed last September.