YOUR front page story tells us that a summer date has been set for Ovingham Bridge to re-open ( Courant , April 22).

This gives the impression that the bridge was first closed in December 2015, after Storm Desmond. Anyone visiting the area and reading this report would probably think that’s not bad.

The bridge actually closed at the end of June 2014 for refurbishment and was supposed to be closed for up to 12 months. Then the time was extended to 14 months, then 17 months, and then 21 months.

The bridge reopened for one and a half days in December 2015, before Storm Desmond arrived.

A lot of the local people say that, if the bridge refurbishment had been finished on time and the scaffolding taken down before the storm, the bridge would not have been damaged by the storm.

I would imagine that Prudhoe town centre has lost a lot of trade over this period. I, for one, go to Hexham town to shop, as it takes only 10 minutes by car, and 20 mins to Prudhoe from Ovingham while the bridge remains closed.

A correspondent ( Courant Letters , April 29) questioned whether the Bywell to Ovingham riverside road should ever reopen.

The residents of Wylam must be fed up with all the traffic that is having to go through Wylam to get to Prudhoe and Stocksfield. School buses have been effected by the river road being closed. This road should definitely reopen. There are plenty of roads for cyclists to use.

MRS C. CAREY,

Ovington