THE draining of a canal in Worcester which caused a “major inconvenience” for narrowboat users was most likely deliberate, according to the Canal and River Trust.

Locks on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, near Offerton Lane, Warndon, were left open several times between Monday, October 6, and Friday, October 10, causing a sports field to flood and leaving the canal’s water levels unbalanced.

To even out the levels, staff at the Canal and River Trust were forced to work throughout the day and night to bring water down the canal in a controlled way from as far afield as Birmingham.

A spokesman for the trust, which is a registered charity responsible for the care of 2,000 miles of waterways in England and Wales, said: “This has caused huge disruption for us and the people who use the canal.

“A massive amount of work has been undertaken to correct the water levels and it is really frustrating and annoying because it looks likely the canal has been drained on purpose.

“People who live on the canal or those enjoying a boating trip will all have been affected and some may have been stranded on a particular stretch of the waterway.

“Our staff got out there and sorted out the problem as quickly as possible because we wanted people to be able to continue enjoying the canal.”

He added that the canal gates are now being locked overnight as a temporary measure to prevent the water being drained again.

West Mercia Police were first informed of the incident on Tuesday, October 7, at 1.43pm and officers attended the scene to assess the damage caused.

They are treating the matter as a case of anti-social behaviour which caused disruption to the canal’s operations, but no arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.

Anyone with information can call West Mercia Police on 101 quoting reference 0317S 071014.