A new accessible footbridge with lifts at Dawlish railway station has opened to the public.

It means the station is now "fully accessible for the first time in its history", Network Rail said.

The lifts were closed on Thursday (19 October) due to a fault, and the railway company has asked the public to "please bear with us" as the new lift system "beds in".

Work on the bridge began in September last year.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: "We're working to fix a fault in one of the lifts at Dawlish station – both lifts are closed for now to make sure no one with limited mobility is stranded on the opposite platform.

"We're sorry for any inconvenience – we are in a bedding-in period with the new footbridge and are working to solve the issue as soon as we can.

"The old footbridge at the Colonnade end of the station remains open for those who wish to use it.

"A huge thank you to our neighbours and passengers for your patience during the construction work."

What is the progress of other projects at the railway?

Dawlish's new £80m sea wall is now complete and open to the public.

A rockfall shelter extension at Parson's Tunnel between Dawlish and Holcombe is also complete.

Netting and fencing work on the cliffs between Dawlish and Holcombe to protect the railway from falling debris has begun.