WorCESTER’s canals may not be the industrial arteries they once were, but that doesn’t mean they don’t still have a crucial role to play in the economic life of this city.

Not only do the waterways themselves bring boaters from far and wide to Worcester, but the towpaths provide a convenient and pleasant alternative to the road system for locals and tourists who want to get around by foot or bicycle.

Which is why it is disappointing that parts of this environmentally friendly transport network are reported to be falling into disrepair.

It seems Worcester’s canal towpaths are suffering the same fate as the county’s pavements, which your Worcester News recently revealed would cost £50 million to bring up to an acceptable standard.

An agreement whereby the Guildhall maintained the towpaths on behalf of British Waterways, which is responsible for Britain’s canals, has not yet been renewed, and the cash-strapped city council cannot afford to do the work itself.

The result is that litter, puddles and potholes are making the towpaths increasingly unpleasant and dangerous to use.

Our canals and their towpaths are more than just a relic of the past. Millions of people use them for pleasure or to get places, whether by boat, foot or bicycle, and they must therefore be maintained like any other transport system.

Let’s hope that talks between British Waterways and the city council to resurrect their agreement result in action soon.