POOLE Bridge is closed to traffic until further notice.

Borough of Poole said a technical problem was discovered on the bridge on Sunday morning and had caused damage to two of the safety gates.

A spokesperson said: "For safety reasons the bridge was closed to all road users and was left in its raised position to allow continued access for mariners.

“We are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fault. In the meantime the bridge will remain closed to road traffic until we can identify the cause and carry out appropriate repairs."

The bridge is now open to pedestrians and cyclists and the normal lifting schedule has been resumed.

However, it is still closed to motorists.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause," the spokesperson added.

Road users are being encouraged to use the Twin Sails Bridge which is operating as normal. 

Poole Bridge was closed for several months while renovation work took place and only reopened in January.

The reopening of the bridge was more than six months over schedule and was pushed back a total of seven times.

Engineers blamed the delays on tough working conditions, late delivery of parts, uncharted utility lines and unmapped remnants of previous bridges.