WARRINGTON Borough Council has not ruled out permanently moving the cenotaph on Bridge Foot in the future.

Around £1.3 million will be spent to temporarily move the cenotaph and carry out repairs to the river bank following executive board approval on Monday.

The masonry river wall – along the section of the Mersey immediately below the monument – was found to be in a poor state during a routine inspection of bridge and riverside structures.

High water levels and increased river flow have exacerbated the condition in recent years, causing part of the river wall to collapse.

During Monday's meeting Cllr Russ Bowden, deputy leader of the council, said he is prepared to have a 'wider engagement with stakeholders and public over the proposed relocation of the site'.

"The cenotaph war memorial is very much an active part of Warrington – its location on Bridge Foot is a challenging one," he added.

"In the past there has been a strong desire to retain it in its current location.

"We want to secure the future integrity of the structure.

"That is not to say all options are foreclosed.

"It is absolutely vital that we get the cenotaph reinstated for 2018 at no reduction to the Remembrance Day service."

Council leader Cllr Terry O'Neill added: "Whether we make a decision to move it is for the future."

The cenotaph will be temporarily moved to 'a secure site within the borough', while work is completed.

The work would take place after Remembrance Sunday this year and the site would be ready before the same date in 2018.

The cenotaph and war memorial at Bridge Foot was completed in 1925 and has been used as a focus for memorial events and Remembrance Sunday ever since.