Canal drained after vandals jam open lock

A stretch of canal in the Black Country was dry today after vandals jammed open a lock using stones and bricks, causing the water to drain away.

An emergency team from British Waterways was at the 400m stretch of Stourbridge Canal, which runs past the Red House Glass Cone, Wordsley, from 7.30am.

The drained section was between locks 12 and 13, with water at its normal level on either side.

Residents raised the alarm after they awoke to find the section of canal completely empty.

Workers first had to remove the stones from the bottom of lock 13 so it could be closed properly before refilling the section of water from another part of the canal.