Residents make council plea to reopen 'bridge from hell'

A petition with the signatures of 138 local residents was handed to Stockton Borough Council earlier in the year, calling for the metal footbridge from Cotherstone Road into the Yarm Road recreation ground to be closed.

The metal footbridge was built in 1983 to give access to the park after the sale of part of the former Richard Hind School site for housing.

The petition was raised after youths began using the recreation ground, known as Riggy's Rec, in Parkfield, to meet and drink alcohol, causing a nuisance to residents.

The council agreed to temporarily close the bridge, but now some residents are calling for it to be reopened, claiming the council's solution has made it look like "the bridge from hell".

Resident Sheila Betts said: "The fence they have put across the bridge can be seen from our windows. It's 6ft tall with spikes on top, and all we can see are the spikes.

"We understand that some youths were causing trouble at night, but this action is too drastic.

"People have been using the bridge for years to get to the shops, and children used it to get to the rec.

"Why can't they put a gate on the bridge so it is open during the day and locked when there is any trouble?"

Mrs Betts went on to say the spikes had been added to the fence because youngsters had climbed over it to gain access to the park.

She said: "It is the bridge from hell now. There is just no point in it being there because it cannot be used, and it looks awful."

Mrs Betts and fellow residents have put forward another petition to the council asking it to reconsider the closure.

A Stockton council spokeswoman stressed that the fence and spikes were a temporary measure and a consultation was under way to find the best way to solve the problem.

She said all interested parties, including residents, Railtrack and community groups would be able to have their say about the future of the bridge, before a final decision was made on whether to close it permanently