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MEN AT WORK: A temporary dam has been erected so workmen can plug the hole.

WORKERS are frantically making urgent repairs to a leaking canal in the hope of preventing bank holiday chaos.

Holiday-makers and narrowboat enthusiasts have been left high and dry since Sunday after the waterway at Shernal Green sprung a leak.

An old oak plug, which was installed into the stretch of the Worcester and Birmingham Canal in 1815 to help drain the water, has rotted away. The low water levels caused by the problem have left several boats stranded.

Now, the problem threatens to cause chaos during the coming bank holiday weekend, which is one of the canal's busiest periods.

Officers from British Waterways have started work to fix the problem by building a dam to give them access to the old valve.

It is hoped that the problem area can be cleared and then filled with concrete in time for the weekend.

Neil Bedford, a waterway engineer for British Waterways, said: "We will not know how long it will take to fix until the area is fully cleared. We have built the dam and can now get at the problem so just need to wait and see. We are hoping that we can have it sorted by the weekend.

"We put in a temporary measure of clay bags to stop us losing the water, but will now look to fill in the hole as soon as possible."

William Hollyhead, from Alvechurch Marina, is bracing himself for one of his busiest periods and hopes that the repairs will be completed in time.

"My full fleet of 29 boats, which have around six people aboard, have all been booked out and are set to use this route. It is one of the busiest times of the year. I just hope the problem can be fixed in time. We will have to find alternative routes for each boat and divert them away from the area if it cannot be sorted," he added.

5:03pm Tuesday 20th May 2008

PULLING THE PLUG: Water gushes down a hole in the canal bottom where the 200-year-old plug has failed.

CLOSED: The towpath along the canal was closed while contractors work on repairs.

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