Tow the line: Canal signs '¨of the times

SIGNS HAVE been erected along a stretch of West Yorkshire canalside in an attempt to curb a phenomenon known as 'towpath rage'.

The Canal and River Trust has posted the signs at Marsden, near Huddersfield, asking cyclists and walkers to “smile and say hi as you go by”.

In a further nod to waterway etiquette, another sign declares: “You are in a hat-tipping zone”.

The trust says its aim is to re-introduce “old-fashioned manners”, especially on busy stretches where walkers, anglers, cyclists and joggers jostle for space.

Last year, an estimated 385m visits were made to towpath walkways nationally.

Dick Vincent, a “towpath ranger” with the trust, said canals had become more popular than ever as people looked to escape from the stress of city life.

But he added: “As we move away from towpaths of old, we also seem to be moving further away from remembering our manners. We want to remind our visitors that old fashioned manners still have a place on our modern towpaths.”