A REDDITCH man is calling for council chiefs to take action on a bridge which he believes is an accident waiting to happen.
Shaun Marshall of Church Hill has been on Worcestershire County Council’s back over the condition and safety of a footbridge near Exhall Close in Redditch which is riddled with holes and he fears could cause a catastrophe if left to rot further.
The bridge, which is about 6ft high, has several holes and cracks on the surface and Mr Marshall feels the ‘patch up job’ the council has carried out is not good enough to make it safe.
Mr Marshall took pictures of the underneath of the bridge which show pieces of rotten wood and other parts which have collapsed over time. His biggest concern is for youngsters he has using the bridge which is near the moat.
“Someone could easily break a leg or an ankle if they were to trip or fall through, but if a little one was to fall down it would do a lot worse,” said the 18-year-old.
“It is not safe and I am just waiting for another hole to open up as there are weak spots all over it.
“The whole structure looks rotten and I do not think simply patching it up is good enough.”
The county council inspected the bridge earlier in the year and fitted wooden boards over the gaps in the surface to make it safer for users, but Mr Marshall is worried that they are not strong or permanent enough to solve the issue.
He said: “It’s dangerous, and the wooden boards the council put in place are pulled off easily, exposing the holes.
“I am worried somebody is going to get hurt because of it, and it only seems to be getting worse.”
Mr Marshall, who first contacted the Council in June of this year, is also concerned youngsters have recently deliberately pulled off the temporary boards, making the holes larger and more likely to cause harm to pedestrians using the bridge.
“I have personally gone out and re-covered some of the holes, just to keep the kids safe,” he added.
A Worcestershire County Council spokesperson said: “Following a recent inspection, we made a temporary repair to this bridge and have added permanent repair works to our maintenance schedule for 2016-17.
“A re-inspection is due to take place immediately and we will continue to monitor the situation.”
