Two new lock gates have been successfully installed at the entrance to Bristol's floating harbour.

It was the latest stage in an £11-million scheme to secure the effective working of the historic docks and safeguard the city from potential flood risks.

The new gates arrived at Cumberland Basin on a pontoon on Tuesday and were lifted by a crane on to the dockside.

They were carefully placed in the water by the quayside, where airbags were attached to them to make them easier to lift.

One was then put into place on Tuesday, and another on Wednesday, and they are now operating.

To put each gate into place in Junction Lock, by the Pumphouse pub, each was connected to a 100ft crane on a barge in the water and manoeuvred down Cumberland Basin.

The swing bridge near the Pumphouse was opened to let the barge through, then the gate was lowered into its new hinge built into the quayside, with divers underwater ensuring it slotted correctly into place.

The two specially-built 50-tonne steel gates, or 'leaves', have replaced the 140-year-old Victorian pitch-pine wooden gates, which were removed in December.

They will remain open most of the time, but will be closed when another set of gates closer to the River Avon are opened to keep the water in the floating harbour.

Matt Ewing, site manager for BAM Nuttall, which is carrying out the work, said they were starting to install the hydraulic systems so the gates could be operated from a control room on the dockside. He said: "We are really pleased with how it has all gone so far.

"There have been no problems and it has been a great success.

"I was really happy that so many people came out to watch over the last few days – it was good to talk to people and explain what was going on."