RESIDENTS have told of their fury at a "bonkers" council plan to demolish an 100-year-old bridge over a river and build a steel replacement.

Locals in Stokesley, North Yorkshire, are up in arms about proposals to get rid of the River Leven crossing known locally as "the plank".

Officials fear the structure, which has been in place since the early 1900s, is too dangerous – and want to build a new model with handrails and parapets.

But people living in the market town say it's part of the town's history.

And a petition calling on the council is being circulated, with some warning: "It's health and safety gone bonkers."

One local said on Facebook: "Keep the bridge.

"It's been there for donkey's years without a handrail."

A BRIDGE TOO FAR

Another said: "I say save the plank.

"My three-year-old grandson manages to cross it without mishap, it’s hardly dangerous."

And a third said: "Let people use their own common sense as to whether they want to use it.

"It's part of Stokesley's heritage."

Others suggested a sign urging walkers to take care should be used instead.

A spokesperson for Stokesley Council told Teesside Live that the purpose of the new bridge is to "ensure that everyone can access the riverside".

'HEALTH AND SAFETY GONE MAD'

"The focus for the installation of a new bridge is to ensure that everyone can access the riverside safely," they said.

"Providing a bridge that can be used by people with buggies and wheelchairs will enable them to visit the riverside without having to walk into the carriageway."

Hambleton District Council has said the plan to improve the bridge is part of wider scheme "aimed at improving safety and accessibility for pedestrians".

Jon Berry, chief planning officer for the authority, said: "Prior to making the decision, members of the committee visited the site and inspected the plank bridge.

"They also fully considered the representations made expressing concerns about the replacement of the bridge, but concluded that the replacement would result in improved access for users, with the benefits of the replacement judged to outweigh the disadvantages."

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The bridge was initially a stepping stone crossing before the stones were replaced with a double-span wooden footbridge with handrails in the 1900s.

In the 1950s, the handrails were then mysteriously removed.

The crossing has remained unchanged since then.

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