ANGER has been voiced at the continued closure of a popular riverside footpath close to Keighley town centre.

And there are fears that some people are putting their safety at risk by ignoring the 'closed' signs.

The footpath – which runs from Lateral Bridge, by River Technology Park, to Pitt Street – was shut on the advice of the Environment Agency in June last year after a retaining wall to the River Worth was found to be unstable.

Work on the wall was originally due to be complete and the path reopened by the end of October last year. But the project was hit by delays and the latest scheduled completion date has come and gone, with no sign of work starting.

Conservation group, River Worth Friends, has hit out at the delays.

Sue Patchett, for the Friends, says: "Although we appreciate the job may be complex, we feel that the footpath has been closed for too long and there hasn’t appeared to be any urgency from agencies.

"The footpath was well used by many. It’s also along a lovely section of the River Worth – access to nature is very important for wellbeing.

"Pedestrians now have to take a long detour. Some agile people have been risking life and limb by scaling the fencing and even walking on top of the wall in danger of collapse, which defeats the object of closing the footpath for public safety.

"Judging by the amount of litter that keeps accumulating on the closed section of path, it looks like quite a few people still use it.

"We've been informed that the Environment Agency now plans on being onsite with a build programme of 20 weeks. We’re worried that winter flooding could hamper the new schedule of works and we suspect there will be further delays.

"This is so frustrating."

The Environment Agency says there have been delays due to the complexity of the scheme, but that the closure is "essential" for public safety.

A spokesperson said: "We appreciate how inconvenient the footpath closure is for the local community, however this is essential for public safety while we plan critical work to construct new walls to better protect homes and businesses from flooding.

"Unfortunately there have been some delays with this work because of its complexity, but we are working as quickly as we can and aim to complete the works in spring 2023."