Pero's footbridge spanning St Augustine's Reach in Bristol harbour has been closed after witnesses described it 'collapsing' in front of them this morning. The incident occurred in Bristol, with photos and videos showing a barrier closing off the pathway and a clear break in the bridge. It does not appear as if anyone was on the bridge at the time.
Witnesses describe 'crack' and 'crashing down'
Witnesses reported hearing a 'crack' before seeing the bridge come 'crashing down'. One witness told Bristol Live: "Pero's bridge (City Centre) just failed its maintenance check and now the middle is hanging into the harbour." Another said: "I arrived just as a fence was being put across blocking people and there was a lady next to me saying it had collapsed right in front of her and had only just happened."
A third witness added: "We were at the V-Shed heard what sounded like a crack, looked up and could see it come crashing down. No person was on the bridge at the time and engineers [seemed] to be testing it. It didn’t come down fast as it was under the hydraulic pressure which I believe failed causing it to come down!"
Council response and history
Bristol City Council is yet to confirm exactly what happened. The council announced in June 2025 that three tonnes of padlocks attached to the footbridge were due to be removed. Locks were removed by the council over a decade ago, but people then attached new ones and the bridge was covered again within a few years.
The bridge opened in 1999 and was named after Pero Jones, who was enslaved and lived in Bristol in the 18th century. This is a breaking news story and further updates are expected.
