CONCERNS are being raised about a large crack that has appeared on the floor of Blackburn Bus Station - just weeks after a glass door panel had to be repaired.

A labourer who helped construct the building told the Lancashire Telegraph that the issues could be caused by subsidence - or sinking.

The construction worker, who asked to remain nameless, told the Lancashire Telegraph that issues with foundations and the design of the building, which sits above the hidden River Blakewater, could be causing the cracks to appear.

He said: “I was catching the bus and I noticed that a crack appeared the full width of the bus station between stands 12 and 13.

“I actually worked on the site when they were building it and there were a few technical problems because the River Blakewater runs underneath it.

“The main support for the building is the roof - the curved arches - and we were hoping that the arches were going to take the weight at each side of the river rather than having to dig it all up and concrete over it again.”

The River Blakewater runs underneath Blackburn’s town centre but was covered up as the town developed throughout the 19th and 20th century.

The labourer said he was concerned that the Victorian river structure was struggling to take the weight of the bus station and could lead to the collapse of the building.

“My main concern is that if there is any stress on it or if it did suddenly give way, not only is it expensive and could cause serious damage, but people could get killed or injured,” he added.

Construction of the bus station, which opened in 2016, faced delays after the main contractors were sacked by Blackburn with Darwen Council over claims the design was unsafe.

Council regeneration boss, Cllr Phil Riley, said: “The council has high safety standards in all our buildings and carries out regular inspections, so we take reports like this very seriously. I have asked the technical experts to do an assessment to understand what, if anything, we are dealing with.”

A glass door at the £5million bus station developed a large crack in May.