Devastating impact of Bridgewater canal collapse after New Year's Eve flooding

The devastating impact of the collapse of the Bridgewater canal near a small town has been laid bare. One side of the canal embankment imploded near the village of Little Bollington, on the edge of Dunham Massey Park, after a night of heavy rain on Tuesday, December 31.

The location is just a few hundred yards from the popular Swan with Two Nicks pub. Both the canal and the River Bollin are nearby.

Today, January 2, the large surrounding fields of the canal remain under water as a result of the collapse. In the adjacent field, the larger field directly opposite and a pedestrian pathway closer to the pub, each were completely flooded.

Muddy brown water rendered the fields inaccessible and the path between the fields was partially obstructed by standing water, along with thick and icy mud. The section of the canal which had breached the field remained open, with water slowly flowing into the area.

Families and dog walkers who lived nearby walked past in Wellington boots whilst stopping to take pictures. One resident, who asked not to be named, said: “It was like this a few years back, you couldn’t even walk down here.

“It’s awful,” he added.

Further down, on Warrington Lane, a car appeared abandoned in some partial flooding, whilst nearby farming fields were also full of standing water.

The canal itself was flowing at a higher level, with a lot of trees covered by the current. Cheshire Police had closed the A56 whilst investigators carried out assessments on the surrounding bridges to make sure it was safe.

Staff from the National Trust were also in attendance, assessing the area and taking pictures.

Daniel Kaye, from Timperley was out walking his dog at around 9am on Wednesday when he came across the scene. He said: "It