A new footbridge in Sidmouth linking the Fortescue area with the cycle path in The Byes is now open to the public, Devon County Council has announced.

The local authority said it has also removed the old bridge as it was "no longer fit for purpose" and affected by flooding.

Work on the new bridge is not yet complete however, and engineers will reportedly remain onsite into next year to reinstate the surroundings (such as removing temporary bridges, removing the work compound).

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council's Cabinet Member for Highway Management said: "I want to thank the bridges team and MacPlant Construction, our main contractor, who has had to deal with a number of challenges.

"The bridge is open but there is reinstatement work that needs to be completed. We have opened the new bridge to the public to enable us to close and move the temporary bridges we currently have in place.

"Once that has been completed, work to reinstate the paths can begin. The compound also has to be removed to enable the reinstatement of the field."

A farm crossing point will also be added to the east of the bridge.