AN ice cream van became stuck under the Abbey Gateway 25 years ago.

At the time, the archway was open to traffic, so motorists could drive directly from outside the post office past the Abbey Hotel.

The van had been delivering ice cream to the hotel.

Ralph Robinson, who was decorating an upstairs room in the building, said there was an "almighty bang".

"All the filler I put into the walls came out," he said.

Stonework was damaged and inside the building, which then provided staff accommodation for the Abbey Hotel, large cracks appeared in the ceilings and walls.

Brian Handy, of Wells Joinery, thought repairs would cost thousands of pounds.

He said: "You can see right through to the road below if you look through one of the cracks in the bedroom. There has been extensive damage to the front of the archway."

Divisional surveyor John Garner said the whole archway had been shifted 1 inches towards Church Street by the impact.

"The Gateway will have to be closed until we are sure of its structural stability," he said.

After the van was removed - its tyres had to be let down - the arch was shored up with props.

"The last time the Gateway was closed to traffic and pedestrians was in May 1964, when it was damaged by heavy traffic," reported the Gazette. "It was then thought that if it suffered any further damage it would collapse."

In fact, the Gateway never again opened to traffic. It is now home to Malvern Museum and the pedestrian area to the north may become a new home for the market.