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Council bosses say they were surprised to see that couples have placed ‘love locks’ on Boston’s new footbridge but say they are happy to leave them there for now.

Last week it emerged that four locks had already been placed on the £750,000 St Botolph’s Bridge, which opened in February and spans the Haven between the police station and Stump.

The padlocks display the name of a couple and are a symbol of their love, with the keys typically thrown away as testament to an unbreakable bond, and have become common in places such as Paris and Cologne.

The locks have sparked controversy in several parts of the world – with some authorities not happy to have structures overtaken by the romantic symbols. In Dublin they were taken off Ha’penny Bridge, over the River Liffey, over fears they would cause lasting damage.

Richard Waters, principal structures engineer at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We were a little surprised when we heard about the locks, but as long as they don’t cause any damage to the bridge we’re happy to leave them there. Obviously if they do start become an issue we might have to remove them.”

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Check out the full article at  BostonStandard.co.uk