Tow the line: Canal signs '¨of the times

The Canal and River Trust has posted the signs at Marsden, near Huddersfield, asking cyclists and walkers to “smile and say hi as you go by”.

In a further nod to waterway etiquette, another sign declares: “You are in a hat-tipping zone”.

The trust says its aim is to re-introduce “old-fashioned manners”, especially on busy stretches where walkers, anglers, cyclists and joggers jostle for space.

Last year, an estimated 385m visits were made to towpath walkways nationally.

Dick Vincent, a “towpath ranger” with the trust, said canals had become more popular than ever as people looked to escape from the stress of city life.

But he added: “As we move away from towpaths of old, we also seem to be moving further away from remembering our manners. We want to remind our visitors that old fashioned manners still have a place on our modern towpaths.”