A politician says he understands the frustration of villagers cut off by a bridge collapse but insists: “We’re working as quickly as we can.”

Keith Little, the Cumbria county councillor responsible for highways, says work on getting a new bridge for flood-ravaged Pooley Bridge won’t start for at least a month.

He was speaking as it was announced that work is to begin in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, to get a temporary bridge in place to replace a crossing washed away weeks after that in Pooley Bridge was destroyed by Storm Desmond last month.

The county council has bought a £300,000 Bailey bridge – a kind of temporary structure – to plug the gap in Pooley Bridge until a permanent replacement can be constructed.

Villagers in Pooley Bridge had been anxious to get work started as soon as possible.

But conditions in the river mean that has not been able to start immediately – although the crossing is expected to be in place in time for the start of the tourist season, the key element of the community’s economy.

Mr Little said: “The delay in installing is because ours is going to be a vehicle crossing which means it has to go in where the existing road is and we need to take all the existing debris out of the river.

“We have to be careful because we don’t want it going down the river to Eamont Bridge.

“The (temporary) bridge should be here by the end of February or beginning of March.”

He added that he wanted Pooley Bridge “up and running” by “April at the latest”.

The bridge across the Eamont was erected in 1764 and replaced an older structure. It collapsed on December 6.

Mr Little also said the council had brought two other bridges which would be used to plug gaps on the A591, which was also badly affected by flooding.

He added that he could understand any frustration felt by village residents,, saying: “We are all working as hard and as quickly as we can.”

The Bailey bridge will be in place for about a year while plans are developed for a new, permanent crossing.