A POPULAR footbridge in Wimborne is set to be replaced.

The footbridge to the north of Allenview car park will be replaced during the school summer holidays.

Routine inspections found corrosion on the underside of the bridge, which is regularly used by students of the nearby Allenbourn Middle School.

Dorset Council said that although the corrosion is not a risk to the stability of the bridge, it does require attention.

The bridge will be removed and replaced with a new and 'more easily maintained' footbridge.

The old bridge will be refurbished offsite so it can be reused elsewhere.

Cllr Jon Andrews, Dorset Council’s cabinet member for place commissioned services, said: “The bridge is well-used, especially by students attending the nearby school but after years of wear and tear it is in need of repair.

"Our decision to replace it was made after careful consideration, and the new bridge will be modern and easier to maintain.”

Vegetation will be cut back to enable removal of the bridge, with the council’s ecologist checking all nesting birds have left by the time the work starts.

The new steel bridge, over the River Allen, off Elizabeth Road, will be assembled in sections and the slope on its approach will be adjusted.

It will be ready and in place in time for the start of the new school term in September.