STEEPLEJACK Fred Dibnah has lit the fuse for a campaign to restore the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal to its former glory.

The TV celebrity presented a cheque for £3,000 to British Waterways to carry out a study into the possibility of revitalising the route, which has been allowed to fall into disrepair since the 1960s.

Fred is president of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal Society, which was set up in 1987 with the aim of making improvements.

He said: "I would love to see this canal restored to its former glory and always have done. I have some fond childhood memories of this canal.

"It has always been a sad thing in my life what they did to it. All the way down the line there has been some sort of abuse." The canal was officially opened in 1796 and was an important route for industry. Then, in 1936, there was a serious breach and boats could not travel down it. In 1962, its rights of navigation were stopped and it has fallen into decline.

Margaret Fletcher, chairman of the society, said the group had helped fund the survey because it would love to see the waterway improved.

"We feel the canal is worth restoring because the waterways are for everybody," she said.

"People don't just sail barges down them, they can walk down them and cycle down them, and people who like wildlife enjoy them."

Marcus Chaloner, from the British Waterways South Pennine Ring and project manager, said: "We are seeing the renaissance of canals. The restoration of other canals has shown that a new waterfront will bring economic regeneration."

The study will look at the feasibility of improving the waterway, the benefits it could bring and how much it would cost. If it is agreed the canal can be restored, work could begin in 2003.