sentences:  These magnificent gates were altered to swing open like conventional doors rather than slide apart as originally intended; the chains which would have prevented them sliding too far were however still present.Photographs of the gates in Birmingham show the mermaids on the four iron panels had suffered fin loss and other signs of damage, which older photographs from 1941, show occurred before the move.This may be malicious damage caused by seamen angry at being locked out of the Home after curfew, or during the three occasions, two of them deadly, when the
  chains failed to stop the massive doors coming off the rails.