Dublin City locks down on love locks

The key to many a heart now lies at the bottom of the River Liffey — where smitten couples have thrown them after securing their locks of love on Dublin’s historic Ha’penny Bridge.

But almost as soon as the lovers have done the deed, an expert lock-picking group arrives to tear the bonds of love asunder — and stop the locks from making the bridge structurally unsafe.

“It’s a fairly constant churn,” said Seán Nicholls, who set up the group when he was on his way to a lock-picking meeting organised by local organisation TOG.