TWO famous old Bridgwater buildings are no more, after wrecking crews moved in this week to bring them crashing down to earth.

The former Bigwood and Staple printworks on The Clink, and the former cattle market off Bath Road have both been demolished - both as a result of anti-social behaviour and criminal activity.

The Mercury revealed two months ago that the old cattle market building was being used by drug addicts and other unsavoury characters, who had adopted it as their hangout.

We printed evidence of drug-taking, glue-sniffing and drinking taking place after dark, as well as people lighting fires in the area, which has been largely empty for several years.

At the time, Sedgemoor District Council sent workers to the site to carry out a clean-up by removing drug paraphernalia like syringes, and they also attempted to secure the derelict site.

But the problem has persisted, and further complaints from people living in the vicinity of the site about "unsavoury" activities and more drug-taking, has prompted the authority into more drastic action.

Bulldozers have been moved in to pull down several of the more decrepit buildings, thereby removing the shelter which the trespassers had been using.

Council leader Duncan McGinty said: "It is sad to see part of Bridgwater's rural history going, but the new livestock market at the Regional Rural Business Centre at junction 24 will carry on the rich tradition of auction of livestock in Sedgemoor when it opens next year."

And the second building to be razed to the ground was the Bigwood and Staple printworks.

The building was gutted by fire - which experts say was started deliberately - back in November. Since then, work has been carried out to remove the dangerous shell of the building.

Asbestos was removed by expert workers, and The Clink was closed on several occasions to allow the work to be carried out.

It is now complete - leaving The Clink with a very different looking skyline.

See Tuesday's Mercury for more dramatic demolition pictures.