A VITAL waterway is set for significant investment as part of a project to refurbish the River Thames.

Blake's Lock in East Reading will form a major part of the Environment Agency's (EA) plans to spend £1.4m on repairs across the network of locks and weirs.

Dubbed as 'Blake's 7.5', the site will see £750,000 invested to refurbish the lock chamber itself, as the gateway between the town's two major waterways.

Work is due to start on October 30 and is expected to continue until March 23 and during these dates the lock will be closed to boat traffic, while the water is drained and emptied of fish.

Barry Russell, River Thames waterways manager, said: “The work we are doing at Blake’s Lock will keep it in good working order for another 30 years.

"All locksite refurbishments are major and complex engineering projects and each and every one is a daunting challenge.

"However, taking care of the essential navigation infrastructure on the Thames is our area of expertise and something we get excited about.

"We can't wait to get this project off the launchpad.”

Funding for the work comes from the Government and from the registration charges boat owners must pay to the EA to keep or use their boats on the Thames.

Mr Russell added: “Work on this scale only takes place once in a generation.

“Right now though, our focus is on giving Blake’s Lock the attention it needs so that it can continue to support boating in all its wonderful varieties.”