A huge crack which has appeared in Bridgnorth’s historic town hall was caused by part of the building being rotten, it has been revealed.

An investigation has now been launched looking into long term plans to repair the 17th century building, which is currently surrounded in scaffolding. Contractors were putting up Christmas lights when one of them reported hearing a huge cracking noise from the town hall.

But town clerk Anne Wilson said CCTV footage had shown the hall had not been hit by any vehicle.

She said: “It appears that nothing hit the town hall.

“It is one of those things. There is no blame, it is nobody’s fault.”

The corner of the town hall affected has been strapped and one of the window panes has been replaced with clear glass as a health and safety precaution.

Miss Wilson said she was not sure how long the scaffolding would be up, but a detailed report was needed.

JLB Electrical had been putting up the town’s Christmas lights when the crack appeared.

But the council has said suggestions a cherry picker the firm was using had hit the building were not true.

The full cost of the repair will come out of the insurance of JLB Electrical, the council said.

Jason Bowen, proprietor of JLB Electrical which won the contract to put up the town’s Christmas lights, said the area had appeared to have been split before.

Mr Bowen, who has been an electrician for 25 years and self-employed for 11 years, had been pulling lights across a wire from the centre of the town hall to a building opposite at the time and was about six to eight feet away.

He said he was working towards the town hall from Northgate and was in the cherry picker with his back to the town hall.

He heard an ‘almighty crack’ but was hooking lights on to Boots on the other side of the High Street and had not begun fixing lights to the town hall when the crack appeared.

Stills for CCTV cameras operating in High Street confirmed the town hall had not been hit.

Mr Bowen said a structural engineer’s report would no doubt take into account the condition of the building and whether any of the wood had rotted, or whether the mortar had suffered damage due to the big freeze over last year’s festive season.