Ancient bridge gets hi-tech
An ancient bridge in Warwickshire is getting some hi-tech help in a bid to beat the thieves.
Halford Old Bridge is a Grade 2 listed structure dating from the 13th century, and spans the River Stour in the south of Warwickshire.
However, in recent years the bridge has not only felt the ravages of flooding , but also by thieves targeting the stonework.
Following the floods in July 2007 a major repair scheme was carried out on the bridge, and a large proportion of the parapet stonework was replaced.
In a bid to protect the repaired bridge from thieves Warwickshire County Council’s bridge maintenance team have used low cost microchip technology to give each stone its own unique identification number.
The scheme has also been used in Stratford upon Avon and signs have been erected to warn thieves of the microchipped stone.
Cllr Martin Heatley, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “I hope that this will safeguard the bridge in the future, and we are now looking at expanding the scheme to other at risk structures in the county.”