PART of Bangor High Street has had to be closed following a fire which caused extensive damage last month.

The blaze occurred on December 17 and ripped through 164 and 166 High Street - which included the Noodle One Bar.

Gwynedd Council officials say the incident "compromised the structural integrity of the buildings".

As a result, their Building Regulations Service took "immediate action" to inspect the properties and make the area safe for the public.

As part of this work, temporary scaffolding has had to be erected on the highway to secure both structures.

This has meant that this part of the High Street has had to be closed to vehicles and temporary traffic diversions have been put in place.

Essential work will now need to be carried out to stabilise the buildings and to safely remove debris by crane before reconstruction can start.

The Council say that this process is likely to take until Easter to complete. During this time, in order to safeguard the public this part of Bangor High Street will have to remain closed to traffic.

All other high street businesses remain open and traffic will still be able to access the upper high street via Lôn Pobty.

Gwynedd Council’s Head of Environment Dafydd Wyn Williams said: “Removing debris and making these buildings safe will be a complex and challenging task.

“Unfortunately, having explored all possible options, our structural engineers have confirmed that there is no way in which this work can be safely completed without the need to keep this section of the High Street closed to traffic for a number of weeks.

“We fully appreciate the impact on local residents, traders and shoppers, and every effort is being made to complete work as swiftly and safely as possible."