Work has begun to plug an eyesore gap left by a building collapse almost four decades ago.

The Gap, as the site on Wisbech High Street is known locally, was the site of a butcher's shop and warehouse dating back to the 18th century.

It has stood empty since the building fell down in the early 1990s.

Now Fenland council is set to redevelop the site with a ground floor shop and flats above it, using some of the £1.9m in lottery funding it has been given to revamp the High Street, and funding from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

READ MORE: Plans for new filling station beside the A47 at Wisbech

READ MORE: New drive-through Starbucks planned for Wisbech

Chris Seaton, the council's portfolio holder for heritage, said: "Getting action on this site has been a long and complex project involving a lot of effort and determination from our members, officers and partners over several years.

"It represents another major step in our long running project to give a much needed up-lift to the historic high street.

"It'll be of huge significance to the town to see this long-standing derelict site transformed into something that adds to the street scene and engenders further pride in the area."

The work is expected to take 18 months to complete.