Duck blamed for hold up to B4324 Kerne Bridge roadworks

A DUCK was to blame for delays to works to prevent a steep roadside bank collapsing on a busy Herefordshire road, according to locals.

People in the village of Walford, near Ross, say the works, which saw a lengthy closure in place on the B4234, were held up for several weeks as engineers did not want to disturb a duck nesting with eggs on the bank near Kerne Bridge.

Although this story was initially dismissed by some residents as a funny rumour, the director of Walford Timber, George Smith, said that the engineers confirmed the claim was in fact true.

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Mr Smith said: “The whole village and the businesses in it were disrupted by one duck – which is ridiculous.”

Mr Smith was in contact with the engineers on a regular basis while the works were being completed last month and said that they were always transparent about the progress of the project.

Despite the initial delay, the works were completed earlier than projected and the road is now undergoing a redressing process.

The Hereford Times has contacted CAN Geotechnical Ltd to confirm this but has not received a response at the time of writing.