The historic bridge that has spanned lower Laxey for hundreds of years was demolished this morning.

It collapsed under the weight of a double decker bus during Thursday's floods that devastated the village. An operation is now under way to move the bus down the river towards the harbour so it can be retrieved from the boat park.

The stone road bridge was two hundred years old and the side demolished this morning dates back more than 400 years. Work is under way to create a footbridge that will re-establish a temporary link. The Department of Infrastructure intends to build a new road bridge as soon as possible.

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