COUNCILLORS and volunteers rolled up their sleeves on Sunday to spruce up Taunton’s town bridge.

They donned hi vis jackets and grabbed mops, brushes and buckets to give part of the 124-year-old landmark a good clean.

Among the team were Taunton Deane Council members Jane Warmington and Catherine Herbert, who got into hot water when tackling the grime earlier this summer from bridge owner Somerset County Council.

The two authorities later got together to arrange a suitable day along with health and safety measures for the councillors and other volunteers to do the work.

Cllr Warmington said: “It’s really good to get the chance to finish the job – the bridge looks much brighter than it did.”

Cllr Herbert said: “We all know how important kerb appeal is for our homes – well, kerb appeal is important for bridges too. The Town Bridge is such a landmark in Taunton and deserves a wash and brush-up.”

Somerset County Council leader Cllr John Osman said: “As the bridge is an historic landmark and on the highway, we needed to obtain all necessary permissions and put in place suitable traffic management schemes before the cleaning could start. I’m glad we were able to help ensure the volunteering was carried out safely and properly without any risk to the historic bridge or river running beneath it, in getting the job done.”