Concern turns to local business a month on from Whitchurch canal breach
Businesses are worried they will be forced to close
People living in Whitchurch are telling us they're concerned for local business, one month on from the canal breach.
While the boats lodged-in to the canal bank have been rescued, officials are warning it could take most of the year for repairs to be completed.
The Lockside Café are based close to the breach, serving tourists and boaters often when they're waiting by the lock for it to fill up.
Many boaters aren't using this stretch of canal now, as the breach has cut them off from the Llangollen Canal, a popular route for those visiting Wales.
Owner Jane Beaumont told us they are looking to the local community to help them stay open: "They have been rallying around us, we are so grateful.
'Worried for the summer'
"When it first happened, the café was full of people wanting to give us support. We are determined and we will do all we can to keep this café going.
"We are worried for the summer, as that is when we are most busy. It gets us through the winter. We have people coming to view the locks and watch the canal boats; they will pop in for an ice cream.
"People are concerned for us because we are a part of the community. Their support has made us hopeful for our future," she said.
Nicola Whiteley and Rachel McLoughlin are regulars at the café and said they have been visiting as often as they can to do their bit:
"People are concerned abut their businesses. There are hire boat companies here but people will now think twice about booking a boat, due to the breach.
"We are looking at buying a narrow boat and have had to think about where we will moor our boat. We need to pick which side of the breach to put it," Nicola said.
Rachel said: "It is buzzing here in the summer. The canal is vital to the community because of all the tourists it brings."
Christine and Duncan Sincock live in Chemistry, where the breach happened: "Usually we see a few boats and dog walkers. Now, it is like a building site.
You can tell it is going to take a long time to put this right. We had water all the way up to the back of our house when it happened. That is when we knew it was serious.
"People are still talking about it now. I got stopped in the street the other day to talk about it," Christine said.
How long will repairs take?
In a previous interview, Richard Preston from the Canal and River Trust said: "Autumn is a realistic timeline for repairs to be completed.
"We need to consider the amount of material that has to be removed and then need to come up with a design for how we can prevent these sorts of things happening at this site again.
"We will work as fast and as safe as we possibly can," he said.