A CIRCUIT board costing less than £200 has led to problems for a £22m bridge.

The electrical fault on the Millennium Bridge, linking Newcastle and Gateshead, means it cannot tilt to allow ships to pass beneath it.

Experts said the bridge, which has been compared with a blinking eye, will be immovable for at least a week.

A fault developed in a circuit board making the tilting machinery inoperable.

Brian Hallimond, of Gateshead Council, is leading hurried efforts to locate a replacement part and get the bridge -seen as a symbol of Tyneside's regeneration -back in action.

Mr Hallimond said: "This has not happened before.

"We are waiting on the delivery of a new circuit board via a specialist supplier, and we expect the costs to be minimal. Like all electrical parts, they need to be replaced occasionally, and due to the specialist nature of the bridge, we have to source replacements from a specialist.

"Unfortunately, there will be no bridge tilts until we recieve that new part, but we can still operate the bridge in case of emergencies."

Even though the fault effectively seals off the Tyne east of the bridge to all shipping, Port of Tyne harbourmaster Mike Nicholson said: "There are two or three boats that go under the bridge every day, but they are mostly excursion or ferry craft.

"The only other time we have ships in that part of the Tyne is for occasional Royal Navy visits."

Opened in September 2001, the bridge weighs 850 tonnes, is 126 metres metres wide and rises 50 metres above the river.