A DISUSED railway bridge in Preston could become a mecca for shoppers and house-buyers after being bought by a property developer with grand designs.

If the South Wales businessman has his way, the Ribble Bridge, connecting Avenham to Penwortham, could be redeveloped into a group of fashionable shops or even houses.

A Railtrack spokesman said: "The railway bridge was part of the Preston to Bamber Bridge line, and was sold to the businessman back in British Rail days, in 1994 to be redeveloped."

The bridge, which was used by trains until the 1960s, is currently nothing more than a short cut between the South Ribble area into Preston town centre.

But Stephen Weeks, who runs the non-profit development organisation Monumental Trusts, has other ideas.

Mr Weeks has set his sights on transforming the dilapidated Ribble Bridge into a monument to rival Italy's Ponte Vecchio in Florence which is surrounded by a mass of stylish houses. Monumental Trusts has a history of renovating buildings on a grand scale. The company has already repaired two bridges near Bath and Boston and is currently undertaking the renovation of a dozen castles in the Czech Republic.

But such dreams of an Italian style development could be a long way off yet.

A spokesman for Preston Borough Council said: "We are not willing to comment on the idea at the moment as we haven't seen any plans for the bridge."