It’s almost as part of summer as strawberries and Wimbledon.Whitby Swing Bridge got stuck in an open position on Saturday, when the town was busy for Armed Forces Day, for around five hours.

Anecdotally it was the result of a power cut, said mayor Bob Dalrymple, rather than a mechanical issue.

Entrepeneurial tourist boat owners got in on the act and were charging customers £1 to ferry them across the River Esk.

The swing bridge, which spans 75ft, was built in 1908. It links the upper and lower harbour areas and the east and west sides of the town.

The swing bridge, which is more than a century old and links the east and west sides of Whitby

It closed in March for work to replace some of its hydraulic equipment.

Councillor Dalrymple said: “There are issues with the swing bridge, but I am hearing on this occasion that it could have been a power cut.

"I heard that a lot of the parking meters had gone off at the same time, so it was electrical rather than mechanical.

"I’ve often wondered why we don’t have a ferry – it’s more of an experience.”

The bridge has had its share of mechanical failures in recent years.

One of the breakdowns, in December 2021, trapped the port's fishing fleet in the harbour.

The previous summer, it got stuck in the 'up' position and replacement buses had to be used to ferry visitors to attractions such as Whitby Abbey.

Tourists ferried over River Esk after Whitby Swing Bridge gets stuck again