Yorkshire canal works to save deers

Mr Miliband called for action after he was alerted to the issue of animals - mostly deer - drowning by concerned local residents from Thorne. Mr Miliband, who chairs a working group to reduce the number of animals drowning in local canals, will be visiting the area following months of hard work, resourced and funded by the working group.

The majority of drownings have been taking place in the commercial canals of South Eastern Yorkshire, principally the Stainforth & Keadby Canal near Thorne and the Aire & Calder Navigation between Knottingley and Goole. Once in the water, animals can’t escape as the canal walls are made of sheet metal piles, allowing them no way to clamber out.

Six deer ramps have been installed by BW

Mr Miliband said: "I understand the concerns that British Waterways and the local organisations and residents have about the animals drowning. The objective of our first meeting was to get all the interested parties together for a discussion and to try to find ways of both preventing these animals, mainly deer, from falling into the canals, as well as the best way of allowing them to escape if they did.

"I now have the pleasure of coming out to the site to look at the progress we have made from that initial meeting. Six deer ramps have been constructed in the canal by British Waterways and a considerable length of deer proof fencing has also been installed along the railway line by Network Rail."

Reduce the number of animals entering the canal at Thorne

Jonathan Hart-Woods, heritage and environment manager for British Waterways Yorkshire, said: "The group have worked hard to ensure we have deer ramps in place on both the Stainforth & Keadby Canal and Aire & Calder Navigation as early in the season as possible and Network Rails contribution alongside the new ramps will significantly reduce the number of animals entering the canal at Thorne.

"We hope the ramps and the fencing will go some way to reducing the problem at Thorne and we will continue to work closely with Mr Miliband and the working group to monitor the situation. We still hope that awareness of this group and the problems it is trying to address will attract support from other parties who want to help care for Yorkshire’s wildlife."

Five ramps have also been installed on the Aire & Calder Navigation this year, as well as refurbishing the existing ramps by recycling existing stone from Kellingley and a generous contribution of 100 tonnes of stone was donated by Lafarge Aggregates on the Stainforth & Keadby Canal.

The working group is made up from a wide range of organisations including British Waterways, Network Rail, Doncaster MBC, RSPCA, Associated British Ports, The Fire Service, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Thorne Moorends Town Council and Thorne & Hatfield Moors Conservation Forum.

Anyone wanting further information about future meetings can contact Jonathan Hart-Woods at BW on 0113 281 6800 / 07810 378481 or email jonathan.hart-woods@britishwaterways.co.uk.