TRADERS in Barnard Castle were confident last night that a vital bridge will remain open while repair work is carried out.

Structural engineers from Durham County Council are consulting traders in the town about repair work to the County Bridge over the Tees, and have vowed that they will try to keep the bridge open to traffic while the work is carried out.

And although there is still the possibility that the bridge, which links the town to the busy A66, could have to close for two weeks while the repair work is carried out, traders were yesterday upbeat.

Businesses in Barnard Castle are still recovering from the foot-and-mouth crisis, which effectively cut off the town from tourists for almost a year.

The town thrives on the extra revenue created by visitors to the town, but many businesses were left on the brink of bankruptcy last year.

The summer season is a vital time for traders in the town, many of whom rely on increased trade between May and October to keep their businesses afloat.

Restaurateur Bill Oldfield, of Teesdale Marketing, which represents businesses in the town, said closing the bridge would be a huge blow for traders.

He said: "It is vitally important that the County Bridge remains open throughout the summer, because it is such an important link to the town.

"Traders in the town are still recovering from the foot-and-mouth crisis, and any closure of the bridge during the peak tourism period would come as a massive blow to the town.

"The county council is doing it all it can to look at ways of keeping it open while they repair it, and we really do appreciate the fact that they are speaking to businesses about their plans.

"Nothing is certain at the moment, but we feel we are winning the battle, and getting closer to the result we want - which is to keep the bridge open."

The bridge was damaged in an accident last month. The driver of a low-loader lorry has been charged with failing to obey a traffic sign, careless driving, failing to stop and failing to report an accident.