Boston bridge love locks removed by council

The trend for love locks has become increasingly popular

Love locks on a new river footbridge are being removed because of fears they are damaging the structure.

People started fastening the padlocks to cables on St Botolph's Bridge, Boston, in Lincolnshire, after it opened in 2014.

The locks supposedly symbolise the everlasting bond between two lovers.

In recent years, the trend has spread across many parts of the UK - with bridges in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire targeted.

Lincolnshire County Council said it had to remove the locks because they could potentially damage the stainless steel cables.

Romantic gesture

A spokesperson for the authority said: "Unfortunately, some are starting to rust and it has become necessary to take them off to prevent further damage.

The trend has met with some criticism, with the No Love Locks campaign calling it "an epidemic".

One local woman also questioned whether the town was an appropriate place for such acts of love.

She told BBC Radio Lincolnshire: "I'm not sure Boston would be the romance centre of the UK."

St Botolph's Bridge opened on the 19 May 2014

The locks are being removed exactly a year after the bridge over the River Haven opened.

They will be kept at Boston Borough Council's headquarters in the town for 21 days if anyone wants to claim them back.