THE massive scaffolding holding up what’s left of the burnt-out shops in Hereford’s High Town has blighted the city centre for four years, and the news in the Hereford Times last week that the owner has declared himself bankrupt, presumably after taking the insurance money, means the eyesore will be there for yet more years.

But there is one simple solution to at least getting rid of the scaffolding intruding several yards into High Town, right opposite the iconic Old House.

Its sole function is to hold up what was left of the front wall of the building after it was gutted by fire in 2010.

Herefordshire Council has approved plans for a new front wall, replicating the original. Part would be the bit still standing, the rest newly built.

If the council planners relax their rules and allow the remaining section to be demolished, the ugly scaffolding could quickly be removed and the hoarding to hide the empty shell erected flush with the original frontline of the building.

When it is eventually rebuilt, no-one will know the difference.

The council has been played by the owner for four long years. Just as the city is getting back on its feet, he has now played his trump card and gone bankrupt.

But the council holds the key to at least getting rid of the scaffolding and allowing the business scene in High Town to return to normal. They should immediately put the option to the bankruptcy administrator as one of his first priorities.

GEORGE THOMAS Hereford in Bloom