Visitors will be able to access the town centre from the Macclesfield Canal more safely following improvement works to steps linking it with Buxton Road.

Volunteers from the Macclesfield Canal Society carried out the operation.

It involved replacing loose stones, repairing holes in the retaining wall and removing vegetation from the steps and surrounding towpath.

The improvements - which were carried out with waterways charity, the Canal and River Trust - are aimed at making the towpath and steps a much safer environment to access Macclesfield Town Centre and the new visitor moorings on the canal.

The 26-mile canal has become the first to be awarded Keep Britain Tidy’s coveted Green Flag Award - which is the mark of a quality green space.

Volunteer Co-ordinator Steve O’Sullivan said: “The steps have become uneven and are a vital connection for people who use the towpath to access the town centre. ”

Ray Butler, of the Macclesfield Canal Society, said: “We’re really pleased to be able to help repair these steps both for the people of Macclesfield, and for boaters using the Trust’s new visitor moorings.”