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A company that has reopened a freight transport link on Manchester's Ship Canal to move goods off the roads says it could eventually save 15,000 lorry movements a year. Seaborn Container Line only started the service between the Port of Liverpool and Irlam, near the Trafford Centre, seven months ago - but managing director Graham Salt believes there's huge potential for the movements of goods by canal.

Salt says the firm is now moving freight for the likes of Tesco, Proctor & Gamble,  the Co-Op and Unilever, but he admits smaller companies are not using the service due to the complexities of the modal shift.

"It's still in its infancy we have three ships moving a week, which is taking lorries off the road and reducing the carbon footprint," he says. "But I can't see smaller companies bothering at all Proctor & Gamble started moving goods from the States to us, but it took them five months just to get that service started because of all the people involved."

He adds: "There will be a time, but not now. Freight forwarders will be able to offer the service eventually and they will come around to the idea." Tesco began moving wine bound for its supermarkets by canal in October last year Salt says every container carried on water removes a truck from the road and reduces the carbon footprint by 80%.