by political editor Paul Francis

pfrancis@thekmgroup.co.uk

The new £8 million footbridge across the M20 at Ashford has finally been given the all-clear to open after concerns its unique cable design made it wobble.

Engineers are understood to have carried out checks to the 140-metre bridge to ensure it does not move about excessively when there are people on it.

The as-yet unnamed steel bridge was scheduled to open earlier this month but that has been delayed.

Kent County Council said at the time that the hold-up was down to bad weather and other factors, but there have been persistent rumours of problems caused by unexpected wobbling – a problem that affected London's Millennium Bridge.

Now the politician in charge says everything has been done to ensure the bridge is safe.

Cllr Bryan Sweetland, cabinet member for highways, said: "It has been tested and given a clean bill of health.

"There is a certain amount of movement in any bridge of this type of design, but it is no cause for concern. It is all OK and we are planning to open it shortly."

See this week's Kentish Express for the full story.