Questions over when Clun Castle work will finish

The remains of one of Shropshire's ancient monuments lies shrouded in scaffolding - more than two years after repair work began.

Clun Castle lies in a dramatic riverside setting on the south Shropshire border, with the ruins of its 13th century keep still standing forebodingly over the countryside. But fears have been raised among villagers that the scaffolding could surround the historic castle for the foreseeable future.

The concern comes as English Heritage officials are still unable to provide a date for the start of the next phase of the work.

A number of residents had claimed English Heritage had run out of cash for the project to carry out repairs to the stonework. But officials behind the scheme have strenuously denied the claims and have said there is a £150,000 budget for the work.

Resident Maurice Young said he has written to English Heritage several times to see when the work will be finally finished.

He said he also feared there could be an accident as the scaffolding, which restricts people from walking all the way round the monument, is encouraging youngsters to climb up the nearby slippery slope which ends in a sudden drop down to the river.

He said that bosses at English Heritage had told him work had ground to a halt because of a lack of funds.

"They say there is a lack of funds but they have managed to find £12 million to do Dover Castle," he said.

Eleanor Kenny, for English Heritage, said that work on the castle was due to recommence "very soon".

She added: "The repair will be starting in the near future but we don't have a date set yet. The overall budget is about £150,000 and about £10,000 has been spent to date."

She said the work was carried out on stone work at the top of the keep to prevent stones from falling from a great height.

She said the type of stone used was soft and prone to falling and added the scaffolding was up in preparation for the work and was also protecting people on the ground from any falling debris.

She said: "The fact is stones are falling and people are in danger. They need protection from the stones and the safety of the public is paramount."