A £1.2 million major repairs and refurbishments programme is to begin on the River Thames in London.

The Environment Agency (EA) will start its annual winter programme of maintenance along the river on Tuesday, 01 November.

A total of eight lock sites will be repaired and upgraded, five in Oxfordshire and one each in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Surrey.

Works include removing both pairs of lock gates at Shifford Lock near Bampton in Oxfordshire, and Kings Lock in Oxford, so that the frames can be re-faced with new sheets of timber.

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At Penton Hook Lock near Staines in Surrey, the downstream gates will be removed so that repairs can be made to the hinges that support the structure. Features include bracing the lock chamber then pumping it dry.

Barry Russell, Waterways Manager, said: "What we do each winter is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the totality of what's needed to keep all these structures in a good state of repair. To stay on top of things we've got to maintain an accurate understanding of the condition of each and every one, know what work will be necessary, and when, and prepare for that.

"So whether it's carrying out a structural survey – above ground or below water - considering the findings, planning and costing the work, seeking funding, sourcing and ordering materials or fabricating parts in our workshops, there's always something going on.

"Fortunately, the people doing all this work – many of whom are engineers, technicians and other specialists brought in to support us from outside my own waterways team - are as talented and dedicated as anyone could hope for."

(LM)