A TOURISM chief has claimed one of the finest views in a North Yorkshire seaside town has been ruined because of work on a new bridge.

Sheets of metal about four feet high have been fixed to railings on a Whitby bridge which have blocked the outlook over the harbour, lighthouses and town centre.

Harry Collett, chairman of the Whitby and District Tourism Association, said: “The question my members are asking is why it has been done like this.

“We are very, very upset about the blocking-off of this view. If it is affecting the view, it is affecting tourism, and you are going to have to be on the top deck of the tour bus to see over the top.”

The railings are being upgraded as part of a £115,000 scheme to bring the bridge up to modern safety standards Nick West, North Yorkshire County Council’s highways and transportation manager, admitted the view had been affected, but the authority’s hands were tied due to safety legislation.

The work is expected to last another five weeks, but will not be taking place over the Easter break.