MOOR PLEASE: A milestone in the campaign to reopen a filled-in part of a canal was reached with

a £46,000 clean-up

. A narrowboat

became the first in almost half a century to moor at the Burslem Branch Canal, at its junction with the Trent and Mersey Canal, yesterday.

Members of Burslem Port Project have been working for 13 years to try to clear the branch canal, with the aim of re-opening it to tie-in with the regeneration of Middleport.

In November, young people began a clearance project along the half-mile spur off the Trent and Mersey Canal, pictured above, after winning £46,000 of funding.

Yesterday

those workers, Matt Bold, Ashley Greatbatch, John Bold, Danny Mifflin and Matt Hodgkiss, pictured from left, were aboard the narrowboat which became the first in 49 years to moor at the junction of the two canals.

Project officer David Dumbleton said the ultimate aim was to turn the old Burslem Branch Canal into Burslem Port and introduce a wide range of attractions.

He added: "This is a very significant day for us, but it is by no means the end."