Couples urged to stop leaving love locks on bridge

Loved-up couples are being urged not to leave padlocks on a Worcestershire footbridge due to maintenance complications.

Worcestershire County Council removed the locks - also known as love locks - on Tuesday at the Sabrina Footbridge in Worcester to carry out essential maintenance work.

A deadline was set on the authority's Facebook page for couples to collect locks they wanted to keep, with all unclaimed ones to be stored at its headquarters in Wildwood, Worcester, until the end of September.

The council said it recognised the "symbolism" of couples placing locks on the bridge, but warned the locks could also "lead to early deterioration" of the structure.

"We would encourage people not to place locks on the bridge," a council spokesperson added.

The Sabrina Footbridge crosses the River Severn in Worcester and has become a familiar spot for couples to attach padlocks as a symbol of their relationship.

They are not alone - about two million people in England have attached a love lock to a bridge - according to a survey from Sheffield Hallam University, as a signal of commitment.

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