A RUSTY old footbridge used by thousands of commuters every day will be closed for repairs this summer - but residents have demanded it be replaced altogether amid fears it is close to collapse.

The walkway, over the tracks at South Woodford tube station, was temporarily closed by transport bosses last week after felting on its floor came loose.

And now Transport for London (TfL) has said it needs to be shut again for “a few weeks” in July for more works, much to the dissapointment of residents who want a new bridge built instead.

The announcement comes just two years after a mass refurbishment of the Central Line station was completed.

Ann Masters, who lives in Pulteney Road next to the station, said: “It’s quite worrying. There is rust all along the base of the bridge and there are holes so big you can see right through to the other side.

“It’s a complete false economy to keep repairing it when it should have been replaced years ago.

“When they were doing the station up one engineer told me it needed replacing, but perhaps it’s the cheaper option to just keep repairing it.”

Her neighbour Pat King said the alternative option of using the subway running underneath the station was not an attractive one for many commuters.

She said: “The cleaners try their best but the subway is so horrible, it’s very smelly and you do get graffiti.

“The footbridge gets an awful lot of use so it makes sense that they should just do it properly and replace it.”

A spokeswoman for TfL said the footbridge was safe. She added: “Following some temporary repairs the footbridge has now reopened, however it will be closed in July for a few weeks so we can carry out more in-depth repairs.

"Customers will be advised to use the subway to get to the other platform or the other side if they don’t want to come into the station.”