Moray Council have announced the immediate closure of the Lossiemouth East Beach footbridge following concerns raised by members of the public.

The council dispatched structural engineers on the afternoon of 24 July to inspect the bridge and the decision was taken to close the bridge as it was deemed to be unsafe for continued use at this time. Small controlled groups can use the bridge to leave the beach.

The bridge had a survey commissioned by Lossiemouth Community Trust in 2017. At that time it was deemed to be "generally structurally sound" with the advice that "significant works will need to be carried out to ensure this remains the case".

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A spokesperson for Moray Council said: "The nice weather this week has understandably led to more people visiting the East Beach. Unfortunately, the sheer volume of people crossing the bridge has led to deterioration significant enough to warrant closure of the bridge in the interests of public safety. While the bridge is not the property of Moray Council we have a responsibility to keep the public safe around such structures."

Once the bridge is closed Moray Council will review future actions in light of our responsibilities.

The East Beach is still accessible via Kingston but members of the public should be aware that there will be no through path via the footbridge on or off the beach.

(MH/JG)