HAZARDOUS steps at a public nature reserve will be replaced after councillors agreed more than £1,000 should be spent on their replacement.

Beaconsfield Town councillors were warned by Independent leader Ken Brown, who is a member of the committee which oversees the Holtspur Bank Nature Reserve, that they would be responsible if there were to be an accident.

He told the council towards the end of last month that steps in the reserve and woodland area were becoming ‘dangerous’ and needed replacing.

He said: “If there is an accident the town council will be responsible.

“The steps do have to be replaced; people use them as the main access to the site.

“We have managed to get a reduction in the price but we do need the steps.”

He added: “We have been told the new sleepers (which will be used) will last beyond our lifetimes.”

The council discussed if the money should be given to the cause and spoke of how an annual payment of £1,000 to the group had stopped years ago.

On occasions the group also used to receive an extra £500 a year, which would be debated by councillors on a yearly basis.

The only current funding they have in place is from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

The group still has about £1,700 in their balance from DEFRA, but Cllr Brown told the council this was to be used over the next few years and could not fund the step replacement.

After a discussion it was agreed the money would be given once more information about the type of sleepers which they planned to use was shown.