Highways England says it will "learn lessons" from the bridge collapse in Genoa to prevent a similar tragedy from happening here.

The statement comes amid the death of 39 people earlier this week, when a bridge crumbled in the Italian city with people on it.

Now, the body responsible for the roads in England says it seeking to reassure people.

Highways England chief highways engineer Mike Wilson said: “Our deepest sympathies are with everyone involved in the tragic bridge collapse in Genoa, Italy.

“We can reassure drivers that safety is and always will be our top priority.

“We have detailed design standards and quality control processes to ensure bridges are designed and constructed to provide safe and comfortable journeys for road users.

"This is supported by a thorough and regular regime for inspecting all structures, including bridges, on England’s motorways and major “A” roads and taking any necessary action to help ensure they stay safe.

“A very small proportion of our structures are suspension or cable stayed bridges but none of them are of similar construction to the one in Genoa.

“We’re committed to continually improving our network to make every journey the safest it can be. So when the causes of the Genoa bridge collapse have been investigated and reported, we will carefully assess any lessons to be learnt and will bring in any required changes to standards and processes.”