TWO bus shelters have had to have their windows replaced for the fourth time after youths kicked the glass and shattered them.
The bus shelters on Pontefract Road and Brierley Road, Shafton, have been targeted by youths who have been seen by residents running and bouncing off the glass.
One resident contacted Parish Councillor Les Holt who had witnessed the behaviour and said that an elderly woman who was at the bus stop had been left petrified at their behaviour.
Les said: “This is the fourth time this year that the bus shelters have been damaged and it costs money to have the glass replaced. It’s expensive.
“Elderly people waiting for a bus have been left to get wet because they are not protected from the rain and they are scared because the youths don’t care.
“The resident who spoke to me said that he had tried to tell one youth off and speak to his parents to get him to pay for the damage, and he was met with the response ‘my dad will pay for it’. There is just no respect and it’s not on.
“Thankfully, the glass has been replaced but it’s a worry that there will be a repeat and it’s something we can’t afford to keep replacing.”
The matter was raised at the Shafton Parish Council meeting on Monday and a further complaint was made that in addition to the bus shelters, youths had been seen kicking the waste bins which have been bolted to the ground and they are on the verge of lifting, which parish councillors said would lead to rubbish being thrown on the floor.
One resident said: “The kids have no respect and parents or teachers can’t do anything to stop their behaviour.”
Chairman of Shafton Parish Council, Dave North, said that he had tried to contact Outwood Academy Shafton so the students could be told about the consequences of their behaviour but the school said it was ‘not their problem’ once students had left the premises.
A spokesperson for Outwood Academy Shafton said: “We are sorry and saddened to hear that this has happened. At Outwood we believe in working with and for the communities we serve, therefore we always try and ensure students are fully aware of their commitment to being respectful when out in the community.
“We take complaints from members of the community seriously and therefore we will be scheduling respect for the community in which we live into our assemblies and LIFE lessons.”
