800-year-old Ludlow Town Walls collapses
[gallery] A 30-foot stretch of Ludlow's historic Town Walls has crashed to the ground – destroying a parked car and leaving the authorities with a repair bill of up to £250,000.
The stretch of wall, some of which dates back to the 13th century, collapsed in a residential street on Upper Linney, behind St Laurence's Church.
West Mercia Police and Shropshire Council chiefs have cordoned off the scene and the authority will now work with English Heritage to assess the full extent of damage and plan the major repair job.
An inspection by a top structural engineer was due to take place at 9am today.
No-one was hurt in the incident at about 1am yesterday but the collapsed wall, which runs along the church's old burial ground, sent rubble crashing on to a nearby Ford Fiesta car.
A number of lean-to garages were also damaged as well as guttering to an electricity substation which is right beside the partial wall collapse. Council bosses are now worried about further stretches of the wall giving way, with the recent wet and icy conditions being blamed. Richard Ewels, for West Mercia Police, said: "Officers attended and contacted Shropshire
Council to arrange for the wall to be shored up and for a structural engineer to attend and make an urgent inspection."
He added: "The immediate surroundings of the damaged wall are now cordoned off as a precaution."
Shock - See today's Shropshire Star
