A RECORD-BREAKING Lego bridge is set to form the basis of a major exhibition showcasing British engineering — but new figures show that construction output is down.

The 31m-long suspension bridge, made entirely out of the plastic modelling blocks, is at the centre of a six-month exhibition opening on Monday.

Bridge Engineering, at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) in Westminster, celebrates civil engineers who have created some of the world’s greatest bridges.

But as Office for National Statistics figures published yesterday revealed a 1.5 per cent drop in construction output between between July and August, the TUC said the government must address the problem.

“Today’s construction figures are a timely reminder for the Chancellor. We are not building enough homes, roads and railways,” TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said.

“Phillip Hammond must use next month’s Autumn Statement to green-light investment in house-building, high-speed rail and a new runway at Heathrow.

“With investors twitchy after Brexit, the government needs to step up.”

The bridge exhibition is hosted by the ICE’s new Infrastructure Learning Hub, which is described as “an interactive public space where the construction and engineering industry can tell engaging stories about how their work makes a positive difference to people’s lives.”

But the hub’s “founding partners” include building giants such as Carillion, Costain and Keir, which were among the firms that apologised in the High Court this year for the blacklisting of construction workers.