Going, going, gone. One of the most recognisable features of the Ulster University in Belfast city centre is no more.

Work continued into the early hours of yesterday under floodlights to remove the historic footbridge linking the university on York Street to one of its old campus buildings, the former Co-Op store across the road. The most recent walkway was erected in 2006, replacing the original, which had been there since 1932.

The facade was stripped away by demolition teams from Eastwoods before Saturday's operation began to dismantle the steel-girdered framework that was left. A two-metre section had to be removed from the middle of the structure in a carefully synchronised operation before the two remaining sections could be edged out and lowered by the two giant cranes which had been supporting their weight.

The structure was estimated by the demolition experts to weigh in the region of 60 tonnes. The old Co-Op building will be demolished following this phase of the university redevelopment programme and a new campus area will be built on the site.

Eventually, a new modern covered walkway over York Street will be built linking the two parts of the university.

The Ulster University is investing £250m in its new Belfast city centre campus.

Belfast Telegraph