Work goes on after canal collapse

An engineer was at the site on Friday and saw no signs it would leak

Water levels are returning to normal after work was carried out on a hole that appeared in a Staffordshire canal.

Gallons of water flooded surrounding fields after the 50ft section of a bank and towpath by the Caldon Canal, near Leek, collapsed on Thursday.

However, British Waterways said staff had been installing planks to create a dam at Leek Tunnel to help water levels return to normal.

The canal is still shut between Bedford Street Lock and Stockton Brook Lock.

British Waterways said engineers would remain at the site over the next few days to try to work out what caused the collapse and establish the best way to repair the canal.

A spokesperson said the site had been last inspected on 6 November and "no obvious problems" had been identified.