A CANAL buff was saddened to discover that the replica number plate he recently fixed to a bridge on the Lancaster Canal has disappeared.

Heating engineer Colin Ogden noticed the wooden plaque was missing when he visited Grade ll-listed Larkrigg Hall bridge at Natland with fellow waterways enthusiast Keith Tassart and a botanist, on Tuesday morning.

Mr Ogden, of Burnley, suspects that the 180 plate was dislodged by thieves or souvenir hunters who mistakenly believed it was metal, or by somebody with a grudge against him. The 62-year-old has attracted a degree of criticism on social media for his forthright views on restoring the Lancaster Canal's Northern Reaches.