MOTORISTS faced long delays after a mechanical canal bridge developed a fault in Apperley Bridge.

Police were contacted as traffic began to build up in Apperley Road because the swing bridge over the canal had developed a fault.

The Canal and River Trust, which is responsible for the bridge, said the fault appeared to be a simple malfunction when the bridge had not gone back into position correctly. It was understood to be operating normally again yesterday evening.

However, resident Rupy Hayre said the bridge had been out of action in similar circumstances on several occasions recently.

She lives near the bridge and said: “Some of my friends have called about it. One had her little boy in the car with her for an hour and a half because they could not move, even though they were just footsteps away from home.”

There was a proposal to close the bridge as part of development work in the area which involved the construction of 267 new homes, she said, though residents were campaigning to ensure it remained in use.