Three missing towers which once stood proudly on Burton's historic Ferry Bridge have still not been found 48 years after their removal - despite a recent site excavation.

The cast iron plinths which held the lions onto the bridge have been missing since they were taken down in 1969 to enable a revamp to take place. One of the plinth towers is on display at the National Brewery Centre but it is hoped the remaining three will also be located.

Following the bridge’s £1.3 million refurbishment last year, an appeal was launched in the Burton Mail by the Friends of the Ferry Bridge to locate the missing plinths.

Evidence of rust which may have indicated where the missing plinths were once stored

A reader later contacted the Friends of the Ferry Bridge to say he remembered moving the structures to a new site, which the group did not want to identify due to concerns about trespassing.

After gaining permission from the site owners to hunt for the missing towers last year, the group’s search came up virtually empty-handed, although traces of rusted iron were found. Now a recent excavation of the site to unearth further evidence has failed to trace the missing towers.

One of the members of the Friends, Kim MacBeth said: "We were allowed to search the site last year where we knew the plinths had been taken for storage after being cut down from the bridge back in 1969.

"To recap, the plinths were still in situ on the site in question in the 1980s; after that, no-one is sure. On a look around the site last summer we found evidence of rusting cast iron under the ground surface, among a pile of cleared fence posts and tree debris."

The finished bridge with its new plaques, complete with its famous swans
The Ferry Bridge in all its glory

The company which currently owns the site and is redeveloping the area was asked to pay attention to any evidence of the plinths but has not found anything of note.

Mrs MacBeth said: "The site has almost all been cleared and I'm sad to say nothing has turned up, however they are still looking out for the plinths, which would be hard to miss, even in their poor state. If they do happen to find them, and the site is quite big so you never know, they should contact me. If not, it will be a mystery, as no-one to our knowledge knows that they were moved again or where to."

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