It might be a multiple winner of the county's Best Kept Large Village competition. But residents in canal-side Brewood say their community has been left in a sorry state – by a nine-month bridge closure which has split the village in two.Since November, residents have had to endure an eight-mile detour to reach schools, shops, pubs and a GP surgery just 300 yards from their homes after the bridge bisecting the Staffordshire village was closed when a sinkhole opened on the structure.The listed bridge, built by Thomas Telford in the 1830s, spans the Shropshire Union Canal but was closed after the large hole, believed to have been caused by a leaking water pipe, appeared on the roadway.Engineers then discovered the damage had also affected the bridge walls and supporting columns.The Canal and River Trust (CRT), which owns the bridge and is responsible for repairs, was initially due to begin work in the spring.But so far only water company Severn Trent have carried out repairs on site – to water and waste pipes – and locals fear it could be next year before the bridge reopens to traffic.They claim a dispute between Staffordshire County Council and the CRT is behind the delays. The idyllic canal-side village has been split in two by the closure of Brewood Bridge The locally listed bridge spans the Shropshire Union Canal but was closed after the large hole appeared in November Heating engineer Phil Shepherd said if this had happened in China 'it would have been fixed within a week'