The Menai Suspension Bridge has been closed to all traffic temporarily due to urgent repairs.

Restrictions were introduced on Friday afternoon for larger vehicles, after engineers discovered bolts on beams underneath the bridge needed replacing.

Police patrols had tried to enforce a 3-ton limit on vehicles, but on Saturday, the Welsh Government said the bridge would be shut completely from 2pm, despite effots to keep it open for cars and motorbikes.

UK Highways A55, which is carrying out the work, said there had been challenges with enforcing the restrictions on larger vehicles.

Arrangements for emergency services are in place if the Britannia Bridge is affected by the strong winds of Storm Amy.

Transport Secretary Ken Skates apologised to local people for "the ongoing disruption that you are facing as work continues to remediate the bridge".

"We have explored every option to keep the bridge open safely but following this latest feedback on enforcement from UK Highways A55, who are responsible for the maintenance of the bridge, our hand has been forced to introduce a full closure."

"I’d like to thank the police for their support over the past 24 hours."

"I am incredibly frustrated at this latest development, and I can assure you that my officials and I are pressing UK Highways A55 for an early resolution to this issue. However, despite all our frustrations we must listen to the advice from engineers to ensure the safety of everyone."

"The bridge closure will remain in place until further investigations are completed in the coming days and UK Highways A55 have provided us with a safe enforcement strategy, to reopen the bridge and move forward with phase two works."

The leader of Anglesey Council has called for an urgent meeting with the Welsh Government.

Cllr Gary Pritchard said: "Although we understand the rationale for restricting traffic over the Menai Bridge, it is a concern for us as residents that this weakness was not highlighted during the previous inspections."

"The restrictions highlight once again the concern we, as politicians on the island have repeated time after time, about the lack of resilience with regards to our crossings to and from the mainland."

"We have been constantly calling for an assessment of the resilience of the bridges and the effect this has on the lives of the island’s residents and I will be asking for an urgent meeting with Welsh Government."

The leader of Plaid Cymru said it was "unacceptable" that the bridge had been closed again with little or no warning, "just as it was nearly three years ago."

Describing the latest announcement as "incredibly frustrating", Ynys Môn MS Rhun ap Iorwerth said: "People on Ynys Môn have been waiting years for this work to be completed, and their patience is running out."

"I’m in close discussion with Anglesey County Council and I will continue to press the Welsh Government for urgent answers on why these latest faults weren’t identified sooner, how this will affect the project’s timetable, and what measures will be taken to lessen the inevitable impact of this closure."

Ynys Môn MP Llinos Medi added: "This is frustrating news for the whole island."

"Three years ago, we were told about the concerns regarding the safety of the bridge. They’ve had three years to rectify the situation and now we have another survey that raises another issue."

"I’ve said time after time that the bridges are the lifeline for the economy, emergency services and our daily lives on the island. I’ll be writing to Welsh Government to demand a timeline to get the Menai Bridge open again."