A team of divers spent this afternoon (Wed) inspecting Brighouse Bridge for any sign of damage.

Its condition was said to have worsened after residents said that following the floods a crack in its structure had become wider.

The team from GW Marine Systems based in North Wales took a couple of hours wading into the river to carry out tests.

And they gave it the all clear - although a more detailed report will be given to the Calderdale Council in about a fortnight.

The team have been working their way checking bridges across Calderdale, which along with York and Leeds have experienced the worst flooding in Yorkshire.

There were also huge problems in the Calder & Hebble Navigation

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Calderdale Council owns the Huddersfield Road bridge which is the main thoroughfare into the town and is responsible for its maintenance.

Although council leader Tim Swift said he doubted the bridge was in any way at risk, given the circumstances, he said it was only prudent for a diving team to double check the historic structure which was opened in 1825.

It carries thousands of vehicles, including buses and lorries, across the River Calder every day so maintaining it is a key priority.

It was inspected by a highways team in 2013 due to a water leak from a cracked pipe within the wall of the bridge but Clr Swift said that monitoring since then, as well as daily checks since the Boxing Day floods, showed no change in the size of the crack or the condition of the wall since that check.

He said: “All inspections have confirmed that the bridge is safe to use.”

In a statement issued earlier this week the council said: “The Huddersfield Road Bridge into Brighouse has been inspected daily, along with other bridges in the borough, since the unprecedented flooding of Boxing Day.

“We are aware that the visible structural damage in this bridge occurred before this instance of flooding, and all inspections have confirmed the bridge is safe to use.

“Divers will also be inspecting the bridge once river levels are appropriate, as a precautionary measure to ensure that there has been no washout of the river bed near to the bridge.

“However this site does not have any previous history of being susceptible to river bed washout.”

Officers from the Environment Agency were also in Brighouse this afternoon as they used sophisticated equipment to check on any damage caused to river embankments.