WORK has finally started on repairing a collapsed section of riverbank in Worcester nearly a year-and-a-half after it fell down.

Water company Severn Trent is spending £220,000 on repairing the stretch of wall and towpath by the River Severn near the Diglis Hotel. Workmen will be relying on old-fashioned barges to carry out the work from the river.

Work began at the end of last month. The scheme is expected to take four months to complete and will bring an end to disruption for passers-by, who were unable to walk along the stretch because it was unsafe.

The project involves replacing a collapsed wall with reinforced concrete and an attractive brick face. A big waterproof sheet, called a sheet pile coffer dam, will be in place to keep the canal water from the worksite while improvements are carried out to the walkway.

Project manager John O'Leary said: "We've been eager to get started on this scheme for some time now and are delighted the work is now under way, as there has been some disruption for the people of Worcester while the towpath has been out of use.

"Severn Trent Water invests £1m each day improving its water and waste services and we are committed to improving the environment for residents across the region.

"The Diglis towpath was in urgent need of repairing and we're pleased to be carrying out the work now.

Damage to the towpath happened when a large chunk of a nearby bank collapsed following a storm in June last year, causing the walkway to become unsafe to use.

The wall is beside a stretch of riverbank repaired by Severn Trent in 2004 following a surge in the sewers that caused a pipe to burst the bank.

Residents of Diglis Avenue and the owners of the Diglis House Hotel previously said the water company should have capitalised on the hot weather to make the necessary repairs but welcomed news the work was to begin.

Severn Trent Water has a big presence in Worcester at the moment, with a scheme to replace long stretches of worn water pipe in London Road well under way.

Workmen have already laid 5.5km (3.4 miles) of new water pipe and are confident of completing the scheme by the end of November, two months ahead of schedule.