WORK to repair a bridge which collapsed after a landslide - splitting a village in two - should start within weeks.

Part of the bridge at Ovington, near Barnard Castle, was damaged after landslips in November and December, resulting in closure of the main road out of the village.

Durham County Council has today (Thursday, May 16) said it expects to begin repairing the bridge by the end of June.

The landslip was caused by exceptionally heavy rain and the authority said investigations have confirmed it is limited to weaker soils covering the rock below.

The council said it will start repair work once it has permission from English Heritage and the Secretary of State, which is required because the bridge is Grade II listed.

The authority is also liaising with a neighbouring landowner for access to stabilise the embankment.

The village is accessible from the south via Hutton Magna, but traffic from Winston is being diverted via Caldwell.

Residents on the stranded side have complained about the lengthy diversion and businesses have reported losses as a result of the road closure.

Brian Buckley, strategic highways manager, said: “We apologise for the inconvenience, although we are dealing with this as fast as we can given the circumstances.”