Driver to face no charges over damaged bridge

The driver had ignored signs saying the bridge was shut before crashing into the weakest part of the structure

A driver who was arrested after causing £50,000 worth of damage to a bridge will face no further action, police have said.

Newerne Street Bridge in the centre of Lydney, Gloucestershire, was significantly damaged after a car crashed into the already flood-damaged structure on 3 December 2024.

A man in his 20s was arrested at the time on suspicion of dangerous driving after ignoring road closure signs that were put in place to protect the fragile bridge.

Gloucestershire Police said he was de-arrested the same day, and following additional enquiries, no further action is being taken. The cost of repairs will be recovered from his insurance company.

The driver was taken to hospital for a serious ankle injury following the crash

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the bridge was damaged during Storm Bert, which wreaked havoc on Lydney in November.

More than 50 properties and 32 businesses were flooded, and the damage took months to repair.

The driver's vehicle reportedly hit the part of the bridge that had "water pouring through" it during the floods.

Gloucestershire County Council said the crash caused a parapet crack all the way down to the arch, and damage to the spandrel wall.

Concrete barriers were put in place to prevent any other vehicles attempting to cross the bridge

Alan Preest, Forest of Dean District councillor for Lydney East, said he was "extremely disappointed and amazed" that no action was to be taken against the individual.

"It goes without saying that the event and the road closure caused a great deal of economic and social damage to the local community.

"As time progressed from last December the silence around the circumstances from the authorities was deafening and it has come as no real surprise that no action is now the course of action."

The bridge had been fully closed from November 2024 after Storm Bert until January, when it reopened under temporary traffic lights.

It reopened fully in June and Gloucestershire Highways' repairs to the bridge are complete.