Restoration work for canal path

The work is expected to take about 12 weeks

Up to £180,000 will be spent restoring a mile-long stretch of a canal tow path in Shropshire.

The path, between Frankton and Ellesmere, has been shut for several years because of erosion and fears it could have been damaged further.

British Waterways has now started repair work using the dredgings from the canal bottom to build up the sides.

Engineers on the project said they expected the work to last about 12 weeks.

British Waterways engineer Heather Airlie said: "Recycled silt will infill the gaps between the sheets and the bank, then Mother Nature will take over project management.

"Spring will bring rapid colonisation of the area by plant life, while clump grasses will break up the straight line of the embankment and encourage wildlife to take up residence."