NEWS that Marlow Bridge is to get a £140,000 facelift has delighted the pressure group which campaigned for its restoration.

But concern has been voiced that the bridge will not be up to scratch in time for the important summer tourist season.

Buckinghamshire County Council has earmarked the cash for the Grade I listed building after the Marlow Society reported that it was falling apart.

They said with rotting timbers, eroded brick work, flaking paint and weeds growing through it, the landmark structure was an embarrassment to the town.

The welcome work could also mean the closure of the major thoroughfare, although the county council ensured that if this was the case closures would be kept to a minimum.

John Evans, of the Marlow Society, said: "We are very pleased with this result. However it would be nice for some superficial cleaning to be done before the regatta starts, making it a little more presentable."

He added: "It is a symbol of Marlow and one of the few Grade I listed buildings in the area."

Marlow's famous bridge was built in three years, between 1829 and 1832, and was a prototype for a similar suspension bridge which links Buda to Pest across the Danube in Hungary. William Tierney Clark was the architect of both structures.

The suspension bridge underwent major repairs in 1929 and 1965.

The latest work on the bridge is set to be carried within this financial year although the county council says it cannot give an exact timetable.