MORE boats are sailing through Britain's longest canal tunnel after fees for using it were scrapped.
British Waterways quashed the £35 charge for Standedge Tunnel at Marsden in April.
And the move has paid off, say officials.
The aim was to encourage more boaters to use the restored Huddersfield Narrow Canal.
A British Waterways spokeswoman said Standedge Tunnel had become increasingly popular since the charges were axed.
Since January this year 281 boats have made the two-and-a- half-hour journey through.
Charges for the Anderton boat lift in Cheshire and the Millennium Ribble Link, near Preston, which links the Lancaster Canal with other inland waterways, have also been lifted, as part of a national decision by British Waterways for similar structures.
The spokeswoman said the lifting of charges aimed to encourage the free movement of boaters and allow people to take full advantage of the whole network.
Boaters are asked to book in advance before travelling through the tunnel.
