A 'FREAK event' has resulted in delays to repair work on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal.

The Canal & River Trust has been working to repair the damage caused by a number of trees falling onto the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal.

Most have been removed, but three have been especially difficult to tackle due to their extremely large size and the remoteness of the sites.

These, together with a freak event in which the limb of a tree punctured the bed of the canal to damage an historic culvert beneath, will mean a short delay in the canal reopening following winter maintenance.

Around 30 trees were blown down along the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal during the recent storms.

Two of the particularly large trees still to be cleared are near Llanellen and one near Llangattock.

The tree which punctured the bed of the canal is between Talybont and Pencelli.

Fortunately, this stretch of canal had already been temporarily drained by the Trust as part of its winter programme of planned maintenance and repair to keep the historic canal navigable for boats.

Mark Evans, director of Wales and the South West at Canal & River Trust, said: “The recent storms caused havoc, blowing down many trees on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal.

"I give my sincere apologies to boaters as the remaining handful of trees still to be cleared, together with the repairs now required to the canal bed and culvert, will mean a delay in reopening the canal from this week to early April.

“The trees that fell are unusually large and, coupled with the difficulty in accessing the remote sites, have proved a real challenge to our team and contractors, who are working hard to safely remove them.

"I know what an impact this will have on boaters, local businesses, visitors and the community, who will have been hoping to get moving and enjoy the canal after the long winter.

"I apologise for the delay and assure you we are making every effort to complete the works as quickly and safely as possible.”

Every winter the Trust carries out a programme of maintenance and repairs across the 2,000 miles of canals and rivers it looks after, to protect and preserve them for navigation and for the local communities they run through.

This year the spend on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal exceeds £150,000.