FENCING branded “dangerous” by a campaigner could be set to be removed from an ornate bridge after more than a decade.

The eyesore installed on Cowdray Bridge, at the Ipswich Road junction, Colchester, has been in place for at least ten years as a series of works have been carried out at the site.

Essex County Council stated it has been locked in discussions with Network Rail about how to replace the longstanding Heras fencing, with the bridge overlooking railway lines.

However, the authority says it believes it has found a solution and a design it believes will satisfy National Rail’s “strict” criteria.

If successful, County Hall will be able to programme works accordingly this year, it says.

Alex Miles, 55, told the Gazette he has been campaigning for five years to get the fencing removed after he argued it had become “a blot on the landscape”.

He said: “This temporary fencing is held together with string and cable ties.

“Keeping in mind there are overhead railway wires overhead, it wouldn’t take a genius to cut those bits of string, the fencing falls down onto them and the whole railway line goes off for days.

“Millions of pounds were spent on upgrading the roads at the Ipswich and Harwich Road roundabouts but the fence was left, it’s beyond incompetent.

“There are horrible blocks of concrete on the bridge and it’s such a shame as this is a lovely Victorian bridge left to wreck and ruin.”

Mr Miles thanked Colchester MP Will Quince for helping action to finally be taken at the site after the politician revealed Essex County Council stated the concrete blocks will have to remain in place.

In a statement seen by the Gazette, the council said this is because “the historic ornate parapet simply isn’t capable of meeting the required safety standards to retain a vehicle from falling onto the track”.

Mr Miles added: “It has been left for so many years and it is just such an eyesore. Any work to finally improve the site would brighten up this end of town no end”.