LIKE many town residents, John Bird was opposed to the demolition of the Butts railway bridge which, he felt, gave some “rustic charm” to The Butts conservation area.

Having endured 10 months of chaos he is now expecting “a nice new shiny metal bridge, painted green with the crest of Alton at its centre, providing a striking southern entrance to the town”.

Not so, according to a Homes England spokesman: “The bridge is constructed in a high quality weathering Corten steel material which is typical for new bridges such as this.”

The inclusion of a crest will be down to the Mid Hants Railway and the town council.