A cafe owner has launched a petition in support of the closure of Bath's historic Pulteney Bridge to traffic.

Squeeze Juice Cafe owner Angie Faulkner has already signed up 190 people for her campaign to be allowed to put out tables and chairs on the bridge.

At the moment, buses and taxis are allowed to cross the bridge, but council chiefs fear the landmark is in danger of being seriously damaged by the passage of vehicles over it.

Miss Faulkner, who has run the cafe on the bridge for four years, said: "It would be fantastic if Pulteney Bridge became Bath's cafe area.

"We could have street performers and people have particularly said it would be nice to have somewhere where they could sit out with children.

"It would be great to make the most of it and I haven't had one person not wanting to sign the petition."

She said she was worried at the damage being done to the bridge - which was built in the 18th century and is a scheduled national monument.

The landmark is one of only four in the world which are lined with shops for their full length - with the others the Rialto in Venice, Ponte Vecchio in Florence and Kramerbrucke in Germany.

The driving force behind the closure plan is the council's cabinet member for major projects and development, Councillor Terry Gazzard.

Mr Gazzard (Con, Abbey) said an "overwhelming" number of people wanted the bridge closed to all traffic, which he said was causing "increasingly threatening experiences" for pedestrians.

He said the road surface was having to be repaired almost fortnightly because it was breaking up and that debris was regularly falling into the river.

He said: "If we as a World Heritage Site were to threaten the integrity of the bridge, it would be an international disaster. We have to make things happen."

The closure of the bridge to all vehicles is suggested in the council's public realm strategy - a blueprint for public areas which envisages far greater pedestrian freedom in the city centre.

Mr Gazzard said the council's consultation process would be looking at whether the bridge should remain a route for emergency vehicles.