TOWN crier Nancy Buckle has launched a petition calling for repairs to a bridge which was gifted to a town.

Knaresborough town crier Miss Buckle has taken the action over the closure to vehicles of the wooden bridge at a River Nidd beauty spot.

Agricultural vehicles are now banned from crossing the bridge alongside the grounds of Conyngham Hall, at Knaresborough.

Nearby land and the bridge were donated to the town in the 1940s by Lord Mackintosh, who made his name in the toffee industry.

But fears about the condition of the bridge has seen Harrogate Borough Council ban vehicles and narrow the walkway so it can only be used by pedestrians.

The action has prompted fears over the long-term future of the bridge and Miss Buckle is alerting local residents to the concerns.

She said: "Knaresborough needs to get off its backside and speak up for this bridge, otherwise we could lose it."

Miss Buckle has written to Knaresborough Town Council about the situation.

She is also calling on Harrogate Borough Council to spend £60,000 to repair the crossing.