Lock staff on the Thames have over 900 years of combined experience managing locks and weirs.  They are a dedicated and highly experienced group who take pride in providing service to the public.  Their unique understanding of the river has been quietly keeping people, property and wildlife safe.

Lock keepers control the river levels by operating the weirs. There is no control centre which tells them what do, there is no one else with the knowledge and experience to operate the weirs on the Thames.

The falling numbers of trained staff has significantly slowed response times to weirs meaning river levels fluctuate more and more.  This has resulted in property flooding, damage to vessels and wildlife, and animal mortality.

With the effect of climate change this can only get worse.

Every year lock keepers save lives and prevent countless injuries, but their concerns for public safety have been ignored by the Environment Agency in favour of perceived cost cutting.

The reality is that there is more than enough money within the agency to properly fund safe staffing levels:

• £1.1 million per year in uncollected registration fees
• £1 million per year in unnecessary contracts, duplicating work already done at minimal cost by lock staff
• £ millions lost from commercial opportunities as frontline staff, investors and customers are ignored

Public safety concerns have been consistently raised for several years but neglected by the EA.  Hundreds of vessels are sunk or abandoned which clog moorings and present a flood risk when they inevitably end up blocking weirs. Locks are breaking down every weekend preventing businesses from operating and the public from enjoying the river. Homes and businesses are at increased risk of flooding.  Drinking water supplies are being put at risk as abstraction cannot be conducted when reaches are too low.  Wildlife is being damaged, livestock have died when e-coli infected water flooded adjoining fields.

Help us stop the Environment Agency destroying the River Thames.  Sign our petition today.