MOTORISTS crossing Winnington Bridge over the past month may have seen an unusual sight on the River Weaver.

A 350-tonne barge known as Pater has been tied up at the Brunner Mond Quay at Winnington, after loading calcium chloride liquid from Winnington works to Liverpool.

If it is accepted by Brunner Mond, transporting the product by water will save over 1,000 lorry trips a year from Winnington through Barnton.

The Department of the Environment Transport and the Regions, British Waterways and the Weaver Navigation Society are all supporting the proposals to reuse the waterway.