CLOSE to 1,000 people have put their names to a petition demanding council bosses stump up cash to restore Marlow bridge to its former glory.

The town's major bodies have come together to rack up the names who agree with their view that the Grade One listed structure looks “dreadful” and “scruffy”.

The list of signatures will be presented to Buckinghamshire County Council next week and organisers hope to top the four figure mark.

They are about 70 names short currently.

Marlow Community Forum believe the town’s most symbolic icon has started to create a bad impression which will damage Marlow’s image and deter tourists.

The group represents Marlow Town Council, Marlow Chamber of Trade and the Marlow Society, among others.

Tony Shannon, chairman of The Riley Park Trust, one of the forum’s members, said: “For such an important bridge, it summarises Marlow in every possible way.

“It looks dreadful and scruffy especially for a tourist town in the summer and the sheer numbers who flock in here.”

Wooden rails are rotting on the bridge and paintwork is flaking away.

The 1832 structure is the work of 19th century engineer William Tierney Clark, whose only other surviving bridge is in Budapest, the capital of Hungary.

Marlow is twinned with Budavar, a district in Budapest, and visitors on a recent trip were shocked at the difference in the two crossovers, forum members said.

Forum spokesman Jo Braybrooke said it had been “neglected”.

“We're trying to keep the standard of Marlow up to keep it as nice place to come, the bridge is the gateway," she said.

“We can only apply pressure on the council and hope they can find some money for it.”

To add your name pick up a form at Burgers Tea Rooms on The Causeway, Marlow.

Transport chief Cllr Val Letheren was unavailable for comment.

Senior bridge inspector for Buckinghamshire Tim Rackham had previously told the Free Press work was not urgent and there were no safety concerns.

He said he would like to carry out refurbishment but was restricted by finances.

In 2007 Buckinghamshire County Council spent about £15,000 on some replacement wood for the parapets – but the wood is still sitting in a warehouse because of a lack of funding to carry out the work.