A woman's 15 feet fall from Caldicot Castle's drawbridge last week could have been caused by vandalism.

The woman fell into a dry moat at around 10.28am on Thursday and was rescued by firefighters from Caldicot and Malpas using a ladder.

The Free Press was contacted by a regular visitor to the attraction, Mike Rice, who noticed before the incident red building tape had been put over part of the fence on th drawbridge that was broken.

The retired 68-year-old, who was chairman of the Caldicot regeneration group and Caldicot Chamber of Commerce, said he was concerned about it.

The woman was conscious after the incident and was taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital for assessment.

It is unclear how badly the woman was hurt in the fall but it is understood she has been discharged from hospital.

A spokeswoman for Monmouthshire council said: "We were aware that vandalism had taken place and this had compromised some of the railings. Any other detail is subject to the HSE's investigation. We await their findings."

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said investigation work is continuing.

The castle closed for the season today (WED 31 OCT) and is open for specific events and banquets throughout the remainder of the year.

The council spokeswoman said visitors entered via the side doors while temporary works on the drawbridge were carried out.

"It is envisaged those temporary works will be completed this week and then the drawbridge will be available for use," she added.