‘Disgusting’ shelter is ‘spoiling lovely village’

Sidbury bus shelter broken glass (Image: Archant)

Broken glass, discarded alcohol bottles and rubbish are rendering Sidbury’s bus shelter a ‘disgrace’ to the village, say residents.

The shelter in Chapel Street is the only undercover area available for people waiting at the bus stop, but one resident described the state of it as ‘disgusting’.

Tasha-Lou Charlton, of Furzehill, catches the bus most mornings and used to rely on the shelter as somewhere for her three-year-old daughter to wait out of the rain.

“It became unsafe to go there as there were glass bottles and God only knows what else mixed up in the rubbish scattered around,” she said.

“I don’t think it’s too much to ask for somebody to leave a place as they found it.”

The described debris has been left in the bus stop for over a week and people in the village say this is not the first time the shelter has been left in such a state.

Beky Clare, a Sidbury resident who gets the bus to work every day, said: “I think that is such a disappointment to the village, as it’s such a lovely place.”

“I have never seen it so bad before. It’s a disgrace and something needs to be done; it’s getting out of hand. Children get the bus from there and so do many other locals. I hope it gets sorted soon as it has become an issue now.”

There is speculation over who is responsible for the mess, but agreement among bus users that something should be done.

A spokesman for East Devon District Council (EDDC) said: “The bus shelter is part of the village area that is routinely cleaned on a weekly basis.

“We have received no reports of special problems at the shelter, but we will be keeping an eye on this spot and monitoring the situation.”

To report a specific problem, call EDDC on 01395 516551, or use the East Devon App, which can be downloaded onto all smart phones.