Aerial photos show that this popular bridge is closed in a West Sussex village

Aerial photos sent to this newspaper on Monday afternoon (September 25) show wooden boards blocking both ends at White Bridge in Bramber.

The White Bridge Link is a project to upgrade cycling routes and footpaths between Kings Barn Lane in Steyning and Saltings Way in Upper Beeding. The bridge is part of the project to link up Steyning, Bramber and Beeding.

The key footpath from Upper Beeding to Steyning was closed last month due to ‘signs of deterioration’.

West Sussex County Council (WSCC) issued a temporary closure notice, stating that use of the Steyning / Upper Beeding footpath was ‘temporarily prohibited’.

A West Sussex County Council spokesperson told this newspaper: ‘“The structure of the footbridge that carries the public footpath was recently assessed by engineers and it was found that the structure had degraded and is not considered safe for public access.

"The county council are considering all options to get the route re-opened as soon as possible but cannot confirm how long this will take.

“Public safety is paramount and we urge users to honour the temporary path closure and not access the structure for their own safety.”

The closure has been in place since Thursday, August 24.

"This path closure is necessary for public safety due to an unsafe bridge,” a notice at the site reads.

“This notice is effective for 21 days from this date but it is intended to extend the closure until the bridge can be made safe."

The council told the public an investigation found the bridge was ‘showing signs of deterioration’ and ‘it is not safe to remain open’.

A statement read: “WSCC are working on resolving this issue as quickly as possible but due to the complicated nature of this work and the need to replace the structure completely it is currently not possible to say when the path will be reopened.

“Enquiries regarding the footpath closure should be directed to Public Rights of Way Team (01243 777620). Please quote the path number when you call. We apologise for any inconvenience.”