Warwick District Council, who manages the large country park and nature reserve in Leamington Spa, made the decision to close the bridge until further notice due to structural concerns.

Councillor Will Roberts, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Services commented:

“The safety of the public is our priority. We therefore had no option but to close the bridge immediately while we establish what measures and repair work are needed to bring it safely back into use.”

“We completely understand the inconvenience that this will cause, and staff and contractors are working hard to reopen the bridge at the earliest opportunity. However, sadly, there has already been an incident of verbal abuse towards our contract team at the site, which is completely unacceptable. There is a zero-tolerance approach to any verbal and physical abuse or threats to any staff or contractors. I hope this was a one-off event and I would like to thank everyone in advance for their patience whilst this situation is resolved.”

The car park at Radford Road remains open, but pedestrians are advised to use the alternative entrances to the park from the Willes Road or Newbold Terrace East.