Fury at 'disgraceful' sell-off of Thames lock-keepers' homes

Lock-keepers on the Thames are angry at losing their homes.

More than 20 families will be forced to move out of cottages along the river by the Environment Agency so it can sell or rent the properties.

The agency says selling 10 of its 57 lockhouses and renting out 12 more over the next five years is necessary to save money and "modernise working practices".

But the lock- and weir-keepers claim the move will limit their ability to protect the public, smooth the flow of traffic along the waterways and help prevent flooding by regulating the flow of the river.

Susan Drewett, who shares her home in Sunbury with her lockkeeper husband and their two young sons, said: "We feel depressed, anxious, angry and betrayed. It's our home and our livelihood that's threatened - just to satisfy a bureaucratic directive."

Jeanette Roe of public service union Unison, which represents the lockkeepers, said: "Throwing families out of their homes, some of whom have lived there for more than 30 years, is a disgrace." An Environment Agency spokeswoman said: "We will continue to work with those families affected and their representatives to minimise disruption to their lives."