Work to remove screens after building collapse

The building collapsed into the River Cocker in October 2023

Protective screens and netting installed to protect pedestrians after a building collapsed into a river are due to be removed.

The back of the Old Courthouse in Cockermouth, Cumbria, crumbled into the River Cocker on 8 October 2023.

Cumberland Council limited access to the nearby Cocker Bridge while safety work was carried out and although the bridge fully reopened to traffic in July, restrictions for pedestrians remained in place.

The authority said no debris from the building had fallen onto the protective netting during any recent storms, meaning it was now safe to remove it.

Full pedestrian access will be restored on the bridge once the work is completed.

A Cumberland Council spokesman said: "Using data and a visual inspection of the building, it has been found that there has been no significant movement to the building through extreme weather conditions."

The Old Courthouse is privately owned and the council said it had no plans to carry out any work on it, however a notice requiring the owner to make the building safe remained in place.