PEOPLE living in the longest village in England claim they also have one of the ugliest railway bridges following the completion of a £1.2m bottle green “monstrosity”.

The School Hill Road Bridge in Brinkworth replaced a Victorian structure from the Brunel era when it was opened in December as part of Network Rail’s ongoing electrification project.

But some residents in the six-mile long village claim the iron structure next to Earl Danby’s School is “an absolute eyesore” that sits uncomfortably in their picturesque Wiltshire village.

They have likened the structure to “a recycled tin can” and are calling on Network Rail to meet them to discuss the possibility of improving its appearance.

Parish council chair Elizabeth Threlfall said: “The bridge is quite remarkable. It really is the most tatty of structures.

“The bridge that it replaced was a brick Brunel bridge that, unfortunately, was not a listed building.”

This meant that Network Rail was not obliged to replace it with a similar brick structure.

Ms Threlfall, who stressed she was speaking from a personal point of view, said: “We weren’t consulted about what type of bridge they would replace the old brick one with.

“Some other new bridges they have built as part of the modernisation scheme are much more attractive than the one we have. We were hoping for something far more sympathetic.”

She said they hoped to meet Network Rail representatives to see if anything can be done to aesthetically improve the structure.

Resident Martin Evans said: “It’s an absolute eyesore and a travesty that it’s been built to this design. This is a small rural village. We understand things have to progress. What they have actually put up is a joke. It looks like a recycled tin can.

“The colour just doesn’t fit and it just does not sit comfortably in this rural environment.”

A Network Rail spokesman said it was sorry to hear that some villagers did not like the appearance of the new bridge but stressed that it was obliged to use tax payer’s money in the best possible way.

The reconstruction involved raising the height of the bridge several inches to create the additional space needed for the overhead lines that will power the new electric trains running underneath.

A Network Rail spokesman said: “We are sorry to hear that some residents do not find the bridge at School Hill aesthetically pleasing.

“This bridge required essential work to prepare it for electrification and the arrival of a new fleet of faster, longer, quieter and greener electric trains.

“As a public-funded organisation, we must balance our duty to preserve the heritage of the railway with the best use of taxpayers’ money.

“Now this bridge is reopen, people and businesses in the area are a step closer to seeing the benefits that electrification and the new electric trains will bring.”