Danger algae is cleared
A heavy-duty dredger was hauled into the Wharf basin in Walsall today to clear a thick lining of algae which has been blamed for a string of accidents where people are believed to have mistaken the surface of the canal for grass.
Safety concerns reached a peak after a motorist ploughed his six-month-old BMW into the canal at The Wharf last month. An 11-year-old girl fell into the water just hours later on the same day.
British Waterways sent its equipment in, provided by AWM Skips, to dredge up the scummy surface today. The clean-up operation was scheduled to last for two weeks but could be over much earlier.
In September, a blind man and his guide dog fell into the water and had to be rescued by drinkers at the nearby Wharf 10 Bar.
Blakenall pensioner Joseph Rufo also drove straight into the water last May and another pensioner ruined a £16,000 Rover in 1999.
British Waterways spokeswoman Sally-Anne Partoon said: "The algae removal operation is part of a regular works programme, planned several months ago, and should minimise the risk of confusion in future."
