TWO BROTHERS been charged with stealing a western Pennsylvania bridge and selling the 15-and-a-half tons of scrap metal for more than $5,000 (€3,600).

Police say 24-year-old Benjamin Arthur Jones and 25-year-old Alexander Williams Jones of New Castle used a blowtorch to break up the bridge in late September or early October. They face felony charges of criminal mischief, theft, receiving stolen property and conspiracy.

Authorities say Alexander Jones told a recycling company employee that he had permission to carve the bridge for scrap and showed the employee cellphone photos of the bridge. The recycling company called police.

The 15-metre-long by 6-metre-wide Covert’s Crossing Bridge was in a wooded area about 100 kilometres north of Pittsburgh.

The bridge is rumoured to be more than just bits of metal, however, with some locals believing it is haunted by the ghost of a young woman.

Some say they have seen the form of a woman dressed in a white gown on the bridge at night. Decades-old local legend has it that a young debutante died after her car fell from the bridge on prom night.

Additional reporting by the AP