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Death bridge 'structurally sound'
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A bridge which collapsed sending a policeman tumbling to his death in a swollen river was inspected last year and found to be "structurally sound", a council said.
No problems were identified at Northside Bridge at Workington in Cumbria during the inspection last July, Cumbria County Council said.
All of the Cumbria's 1,800 bridges are now undergoing new inspections in the wake of the record-breaking rainfall which caused chaos across the county.
Inspectors have now closed two more bridges - Station Road Bridge in Keswick, and Workington Bridge, including the footpath which runs underneath - meaning 13 have now been shut across the county.
A council spokesman said: "Cumbria County Council can confirm that Northside Bridge at Workington was structurally sound when last inspected in July 2008.
"No identifiable problems were found which would require a further more detailed structural inspection.
"As standard practice bridges are usually inspected every two years.
"All of Cumbria's 1,800 bridges are now undergoing new inspections as a direct result of the serious weather conditions and unprecedented amounts of rainfall."
Pc Bill Barker was directing motorists away from the bridge when it collapsed and he disappeared into the swollen waters of the River Derwent at about 4.40am on Friday. The married father-of-four would have celebrated his 45th birthday on Saturday.
Cumbria County Council said an investigation into the collapse of the bridge would take place when water levels fell.
