WORK is due to begin in a few weeks to replace a vandalised footbridge in Poole which has been closed for seven months.

The previously well-used pedestrian bridge across the railway line linking Turlin Moor and Rockley Park was so badly damaged the council was forced to lock it up last summer.

Vandals ripped holes in the plywood decking of the 1973 bridge, causing a three-mile detour for the estimated 100 pedestrians who used it daily.

Poole council secured a £175,000 grant from the Government Office of the South West to replace the bridge but the scheme nearly went off the rails when Network Rail insisted on £155 million third-party insurance cover from the borough.

Now the Borough of Poole has announced the scheme is back on track and Geoffrey Osborne Ltd of Chichester has been appointed to complete the works.

Contractors are due to start within the next few days on the approach footpaths and fencing to the bridge that connects Foreland Road with Napier Road.

Overnight "rail possession", when no trains will run, have been booked in March to allow the old bridge to be lifted out one weekend and the new one intalled the following weekend.

The work is due to be completed by the end of March, providing a new caged bridge over the railway for residents use.

"We are delighted to have the support of the GOSW to replace and enhance the footbridge," said Cllr Ron Parker, cabinet portfolio holder for local economy.

"I hope that local people will respect the new bridge as a valuable part of their community."