Fish pass and footbridge on the Severn damaged by fire

The fire has damaged the fish pass and also a foot bridge

A footbridge and fish pass have been damaged in a fire involving flood debris.

The fish pass in Worcestershire was part of the Unlocking the Severn project, enabling fish to travel up weirs along the river.

The team behind the £20m river regeneration project at Bevere said it was "devastated" by the damage.

A spokeswoman said it believed the fire may have been started deliberately.

Lorna Pederson, the group's community engagement manager, said the team had been working to clear the debris before they were alerted to Wednesday's fire.

"There was a large amount of debris on top of the fish pass and there seems to have been quite a serious fire that has taken place overnight.

"It is really difficult to know what has happened but it does seem quite unlikely that the debris would have caught fire spontaneously.

"It is likely to still be quite damp from the flooding and there is nothing around that area so we don't know, but it does seem it may have been set alight on purpose by somebody," she said.

The team inspected the area and reported water flow seemed to be good and fish should still be able to pass underneath, but damage to the footbridge was their greatest concern.

Ms Pederson said the group would work with local authorities to find out what had happened and whether anything could be done to prevent it happening in future.