Planned repairs to an old swing bridge have been put on hold amidst the coronavirus outbreak but works to fix sewers in the same town are continuing.

Kent County Council had planned to begin works to refurbish Sandwich Tollbridge on Monday but has now suspended the works in line with lockdown measures.

A spokesman said: "A revised date for the works has not yet been set but it is hoped that it will be later this year."

The authority is reviewing its others services where possible, following the Prime Minister's announcement last night.

A spokesman continued: "Kent County Council service delivery is now under continual review.

"While Highways is not generally affected at this time, it may be necessary to prioritise work which could see routine and non-safety critical enquiries taking longer to be resolved than usual.

"We will continue to ensure any dangerous or emergency matters are given highest priority."

Meanwhile, ongoing sewer repairs in Sandwich and road works on the A256 are deemed critical infrastructure works and are therefore continuing, today.

Southern Water operational project manager, Andy Morris, said: “The sewer repairs in Sandwich and road works on the A256 are critical infrastructure and we are continuing to work as quickly as is safe to complete repairs.

"Residents will have noticed that we are not tankering at the moment. This is because we are able to re-route flows and not because of Covid-19 regulations.

"As key workers, Southern Water engineers and our contractor partners will continue to work to deliver vital services.

"We would ask that customers stay away from our teams as far as possible in line with current public health guidelines. Our ways of working may change in line with health advice but our mission remains the same.”

Southern Water has been working to fix two sewer bursts since December 2019.

It is working on problems on the same 10k long 400mm diameter sewerage pipe, which serves the entire 7,396 population of Sandwich.

One is positioned directly underneath the River Stour and the other below more than 5 metres of built-up roadway on the A256 by Discovery Park.

During this time, a 24-hour lorry tankering system has been transporting the waste by road.

The southbound carriageways of the A256, by Discovery Park, has been closed as a result but repair works are near completion.

Kent County Council has produced a question and answer page to help guide its residents during the outbreak.

Read more: All the latest news from Sandwich