Lincoln Glory Hole: Divers to examine damage to closed river path

The riverside walkway was closed in February due to safety fears

Divers are being called in to investigate damage to a closed riverside path in Lincoln.

The Glory Hole walkway, which leads to the renowned city centre High Bridge, was closed in February after being deemed unsafe.

Maintenance crews discovered a series of fractured wooden beams, which were part of the original construction.

The dive team would explore how deep the damage had gone, Lincolnshire County Council said.

A spokesperson for the authority said: "We hope to have underwater investigations carried out by a dive expert by the end of the month.

"We're looking at all available options as information becomes available and we'll continue to do so."

The council previously said it could not say how long the walkway would be closed

In addition to the beams, areas of the concrete bed were also found to be failing.

Officials said it was possible a new structure would need to be built to support the footway, with some of the works likely to be required from the river itself because of the limited access.

The authority is also looking to further bolster security around the footpath after council officials said people were putting themselves in "immediate danger" by squeezing through fencing.

New police-branded signage has been installed warning people that "video surveillance cameras are in operation".

The path leads to the medieval High Bridge, said to be the oldest bridge in the UK which still has buildings upon it