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Tory Ministers arrived for a meeting with locals in flood-battered Cumbria 20 minutes late on the wrong side of a bridge that collapsed a month ago, it has been claimed.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin and environment minister and local MP Rory Stewart were branded "half-wits" and "plonkers" by fuming residents of Pooley Bridge, as they stood looking with confusion at the gap where the bridge used to be.

A picture emerged on Facebook showing the ministers standing on the edge of the bridge - which collapsed on December 6th.

(Image: Leeroy Fowler/Facebook)

Advisers stood by apparently making frantic phone calls, in scenes reminiscent of hit comedy The Thick of It.

But a spokesperson from the Department of Energy and Climate Change said it was always their intention to visit both sides of the bridge.

They said: "The minister went to the other side first to show the Highways Agency the access issues."

They added that the suggested time of arrival was always an estimate, and that Rory Stewart had been visiting a number of flood-hit communities that day.

Local Leeroy Fowler, who posted the image, noted that the 11 strong gaggle of politicos were not only late and in the wrong place, but had breached a safety barrier and were teetering on the edge of the now-dangerous ruin.

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Just a few inches of tarmac appeared separate them from the recently overflowing River Eamont.

Mr Fowler said: "So the whole village turned out yesterday afternoon to attend a meeting with our member of parliament Rory Stewart and the Secretary of State along with the British Transport minister to discuss the future of our village .

(Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)

"They turned up 20 minutes late on the wrong side of our washed away bridge. A local farmer had to make a 30 minute journey via quad bike to get them here whilst the entourage made the 20 mile journey via road to get to where this picture was taken.

"You couldn't make it up."

A Department for Transport spokesman said: "The Transport Secretary and Rory Stewart, Flooding Envoy for Cumbria, met local residents at Pooley Bridge during a day of visits to the area, seeing the impact first hand and how £40 million of emergency government funding to repair damaged roads and bridges ‎will help local communities recover‎ as quickly as possible."