A MAIN street in the centre of York has been closed off after a chimney stack became unstable.

A short section of Coppergate has had barricades put at either end of it after it was discovered that a chimney stack on the Russells restaurant was loose, possibly made worse by strong winds. The road is expected to remain closed until Monday.

Pedestrians have been prevented from going down the street along with vehicles including buses and taxis, which are having to take a diversion.

A spokeswoman for Russells said: "We were notified by City of York Council early on Thursday evening that they wished to close the road outside our restaurant because there was concern about the safety of a chimney stack.

"Scaffolding has been erected to the rear of the building to enable engineers and surveyors to have a close inspection and decide what measures needed to be taken.

"Whilst this is a serious blow to our business, public safety is of utmost importance to us and we are working closely with the council to resolve the problem as soon as possible."

Stuart Robertson, vice-chairman of York Taxi Association said drivers were taking a longer route to get from Piccadilly to Ouse Bridge. He said customers would experience slightly higher fares but because of longer journeys taxi drivers would do fewer jobs. He said: "We just have to accept the inconvenience and it's the price you pay for living and working in an historic city like York."

A spokesman for bus company First said: "This has caused us minor problems but we will deal with it accordingly and hope passengers bear with us."

The barricades have been erected only yards from All Saints' Church in Pavement, which was the scene of a horrific accident in 2002.

Debra Exton, a tourist from Leicestershire, was walking near the church at the junction of Coppergate and Pavement when a metre-long stone pinnacle fell and struck her on the head. She was taken to hospital, but died a short time later.