A COURT battle has kicked off over the torrid failures which kept a major Worcestershire bridge closed for more than six months.

A construction firm is in dispute with Worcestershire County Council over the chaos at Abbey Bridge in Evesham, with the matter now going to arbitration.

The row, with Swindon-based Hochtief, centres around hefty fines the company is being expected to pay for the delays on re-opening the structure.

The firm won the contract to rebuilt the bridge in 2013 and agreed a 48-day closure, only to be beset by problems.

It was eventually shut for a total of 174 days, with council fines being racked up at an increasing rate.

The lengthy closure infuriated traders, who led a long campaign over business and tourism in the town taking a hit.

The bridge scheme cost £8 million to deliver and the Worcester News understands that the council has handed Hochtief a penalty of around £250,000 for the lateness.

But the company, which has refused to comment on the proceedings, is pointing to unexpected problems during the construction including the harsh floods in 2014.

A spokesman for the county council said: "We are unable to comment due to this being a commercially confidential process."

It is not known at this stage when the arbitration process is expected to conclude.

The new bridge opened in March 2014, despite originally being expected to be in place the previous November.

The firm also blamed high winds at one point, sparking incredulity from town leaders.