RESIDENTS from a small Rossendale village are urging the council to restore a bridge which has been deemed “an accident waiting to happen”.

Residents in Cowpe, near Waterfoot, contacted their local councillor Jim Pilling, after growing fears that a well-used bridge would soon collapse.

The Lib Dem councillor was surprised to find that although the bridge in question was adopted, both borough and county council officers would not claim responsibility.

Coun Jim Pilling said: “I knew the bridge was an adopted one because work was carried out on it three years ago and it is therefore owned by a local authority.

“I contacted the county council and the borough council and both parties told me it did not belong to them.

“Parts of the surface is down to the concrete and if it deteriorates any further then it will cause a major problem.

“The bridge is dangerous, and the buses that pass through the area no longer use it.”

It is understood that the bridge, in Lumb Hole Lane, was adopted by Rossendale Council three years ago and is still under the authority of its highways department.

A spokesperson from the council said: “We are aware that there are some maintenance issues in relation to the bridge and are in the process of determining who should be responsible for carrying these out.”

Coun Pilling added: “At the moment the surface is bare, once this starts going then there will be a hole with nothing beneath it but fresh air and water several feet down.

“Whoever owns it needs to be aware of the very dangerous and potentially expensive situation that is developing.”