HISTORY will repeat itself later this week when a river crossing opens to the public.

Reeth's first suspension bridge was built with money raised through public subscription in the 1920s, becoming a well-known landmark in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, until it was washed away in the floods of 2000.

MP William Hague will open a replacement on Friday, and children from the local primary school will be the first to cross, marking the completion of another successful public fundraising effort.

Local people contributed £5,000 towards the bridge, with the remainder of the £113,000 covered by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, North Yorkshire County Council, Richmondshire District Council, the Department of the Environment and the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust.

National park chairman Steve Macar said: "When we first agreed to rebuild the Reeth bridge, we knew it was never going to be easy. However, we didn't know at the time just how hard it was going to be.

"The weather and foot-and-mouth disease conspired to hold this project up, yet despite the setbacks we are reopening a bridge which has always been far more than just a bridge. It was - and it is today - part of the cultural heritage of Swaledale."

Although the bridge has been built to modern standards, it is as near as possible a replica of the original.