SINCE MARCH OF THIS YEAR the Selby Swing Bridge on the Selby Canal has failed five times.
And of course then closes what is an important link between the Aire & Calder and the Ouse, Keith Gudgin reports.
Failed twice this month
Once again it failed yesterday, though it had only just been repaired as it had failed on the 1st July.
It's other failures were on the 3rd March, 6th and 16th June, and the 1st of July.
Time after time we are told it is a mechanical failure, but it is obvious that there is something critically wrong with its mechanics that whoever attends to them is not capable of repairing.
Canal & River Trust tell 'boaters are advised to plan their journeys accordingly and avoid this section of the navigation until further notice'. But being an important connection between two major waterways it is not so easy.
Selby Swing Bridge is still out of use (Friday) but the trust is offering assisted passage between 9am and 12pm each day.