STRUCTURAL engineers yesterday confirmed that a road bridge in Barnard Castle will have to close for two weeks to repair damage caused by a lorry.

Experts at Durham County Council have carried out a survey of the County Bridge following an accident allegedly involving a low-loader lorry.

Work on the bridge, which has a weight restriction of 7.5 tonnes, is expected to take at least a fortnight.

A spokesman for Durham County Council said: "The impact has moved part of the bridge by about two centimetres, which will mean we have to replace about 40 metres of the bridge.

"We expect the work will take about two weeks to complete, but we have yet to announce when the work will begin."

The closure is expected to take place during the busy summer period. The news has angered business people in the town, who say the closure will cause major disruptions.

Chris Dauber, of Teesdale Marketing, said: "I feel both the business community and the district council should have been consulted. This will have a huge impact on the town, and I feel that the tax payer is forking out for this. They should carry out the work at night, instead of closing it for a fortnight during the peak tourism season.