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Hundreds of 'love locks' to be removed from bridge

Alex Seabrook
Local Democracy Reporting Service
LDRS/Alex Seabrook Image of padlocks along the handrail of Pero's Bridge. Most look rusty. Boats can be seen moored in the background. In the distance, the light of cafes and restaurants can been seen, with people walking along. A ferris wheel can also be seen.LDRS/Alex Seabrook
An estimated three tonnes of 'love locks' have been attached to Pero's Bridge

Padlocks left on a city centre footbridge as a romantic gesture are to be removed due to fears they are too heavy.

It is estimated the so-called love locks on Pero's Bridge in Bristol weigh up to three tonnes, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reports.

Bristol City Council has said it will remove the padlocks before Bristol Harbour Festival, which is due to take place in mid-July.

"The team is working on a solution where we can place the locks in a nearby structure of some sort," said the council's management of place director Patsy Mellor.

Ms Mellor explained a 'no lift' notice has been issued for Pero's Bridge due to the weight of the locks. It means the council will not raise the bridge to enable boats to pass through.

LDRS/Alex Seabrook A long line of padlocks stretches along the handrail of Pero's Bridge. Two people are walking along the bridge in the distance. Street lights are lit.LDRS/Alex Seabrook
The council said it hoped the padlocks could be placed somewhere else nearby

The council cleared the bridge of padlocks about a decade ago, but people attached new ones and it was covered again within a few years.

Pero's Bridge opened in 1999 and links Queen Square and Millennium Square. It was named after Pero Jones, who was enslaved in Bristol in the 18th Century.

In 2023, campaigners launched a bid to remove the locks, saying they jarred with the name commemorating a slave.

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