Taxpayers will not pay for repairs to an historic horse trough destroyed in a crash, says a local authority.

The stone structure, thought to date back to 1903, in Echo Square, Gravesend, was hit by a car last weekend.

Police were called to the accident at around 3.37am on Sunday, April 28 where the driver was arrested and taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Austin Smith, of Dargate Road, Dargate, near Whitstable, was later charged with drink driving.

The 25-year-old was bailed to appear before Medway Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, May 14.

Gravesham council has now confirmed it will pursuing the driver for the cost of its reinstatement.

Cabinet member for community and leisure, Cllr Lauren Sullivan (Lab), said: “The horse trough at Echo Square is thought to be around 120 years old, and this recent incident is terribly sad.

“The damage caused is extensive, and the age of the trough and the materials it is made from mean restoring and reinstating it will not be a straightforward task.

“However, it is important to preserve and maintain the borough’s heritage and we are investigating how this can be done.

“We are determined the cost will not be met by the borough’s council taxpayers and will be looking to the driver who caused the damage or their insurers to foot the bill for whatever work needs to be done to restore the Echo Square horse trough.”

The trough has had a history of being damaged and has been crashed into at least twice before in the last 40 years.

Speaking previosuly, ward councillor for Woodlands, David Beattie (Con), said: “I have lived in Gravesend all my life and remember walking past the Echo as a young boy with the trough outside.

“It must have been about 40 years ago now when it was crashed into when it was outside the old Post Office now Clayton Stirling Accounts.

“It did not seem much longer after that it was crashed into again and when it was rebuilt it was moved to where it is now.”

It is not yet known how much it will cost to restore the structure.