Crowds of Pooh fans from across the world have worn out the old wooden bridge in Ashdown Forest near Hartfield, southern England.

The much-loved Pooh bear was created by A.A. Milne when he wrote the classic Adventures of Christopher Robin 70 years ago.

Nigel Kitchener, countryside manager of East Sussex county council, said Disney had been asked to contribute some of the £30,000 needed to save the bridge.

Disney's honey pot

Disney turned Pooh's exploits into a cartoon, making him an even bigger international star.

Disney has made millions from Pooh films and merchandise

The county council believes the film company should help pay for the renovation work as its cartoons have helped attract the thousands of visitors who have worn out the bridge.

"Any day in the summer you can visit the bridge and see a crowd of American and Japanese tourists," Kitchener said.

Disney has made huge sums of money from film and merchandising rights.

"Despite the considerable amount of cartoon footage, we have not had a penny out of Disney," said Mr Kitchener.

"It was our idea to contact them as we thought they have made enough out of Pooh."