DISASTER struck Bude on Monday evening as the Canal lock gates were severely damaged by huge waves. As hurricane-force winds battered the south west, the canal was hit by particularly big waves at about 7pm seriously damaging and dislodging the lock gates. Mike Beckett from North Cornwall District Council said: "As a result of that, water is seeping out of the canal." On Monday night a local builders firm and plant hire company joined forces and tried to build a dam at Falcon Bridge out of large sand bags in an attempt to hold the water back. Harry McConville, Bude RNLI Flood Warden and Press Officer, said: "It was a good bit of community team work. The community did come together and tried their best to solve the problem." However by Tuesday afternoon the water level had gone down considerably. Mr McConville commented: "It's quite a disaster." A major concern was for the hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of fish in the canal belonging to the Bude Canal Angling Association.