Firefighters check the dangerous parapets at the Old Library Chambers in Chipper Lane. SNOW not only caused havoc on the roads last week, it was responsible for dislodging a parapet on the top of one of Salisbury's most beautiful buildings, creating a major safety hazard.

The decorative parapet walls on top of Old Library Chambers, in Chipper Lane, had been covered with netting to deter birds.

This netting had become weighed down with snow and that weight caused one of the parapets - above the front door - to crack and fall backwards.

A member of staff at the dental surgery in Chipper Lane spotted what had happened and telephoned the building's occupants, accountants Smith & Williamson.

They, in turn, phoned Salisbury district council, whose building control officers and the fire brigade were quickly on the scene.

The drama unfolded on Friday afternoon and Chipper Lane had to be sealed off, in case the parapet should fall forwards on to the street, 40ft below.

Staff in the offices immediately below the parapet were evacuated to another part of the building and all occupants were told to use the back entrance when going home that night.

Firefighters from Salisbury fire station's green watch used the brigade's Bronto Skylift to inspect the Grade II listed building and discovered that the parapet over the front door, weighing about 15 stone, was being supported only by lead flashing and would have to be removed.

John Lacey, assistant building control surveyor at Salisbury district council, said it was quickly realised that the matching decorative parapet, to the right of the first one, was also unstable and would have to be removed.

Firefighters were eventually able to remove all the stones and the road was reopened at 9.30pm.

District council building control surveyor Mark Paul told the Journal that the second parapet was in a worse condition than the one that broke off.

"The fire brigade went up and down in their skylift several times and removed the loose stones very courageously," he said.

"The stone was kept, so the parapets can be rebuilt with it.

"Shutting the road did cause inconvenience, but there was no other way we could do the work safely."