Vandalised bus shelter condemned as 'worst in Caithness'
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A WICK bus shelter has been condemned by a local man as possibly "the worst" in the county.
The man, who did not wish to be named, commented on the state of the bus shelter outside the Norseman Hotel after it was vandalised on Saturday afternoon.
"I'm a regular bus user and this one was bad even before the panels were kicked in. The [electronic] timetable hasn't worked for weeks and it's the same in Thurso. The whole thing's just completely manky."
On Saturday afternoon, at around 4.40pm, a worker from the Poundstretcher shop on Macleay Lane called the police after witnessing a "group of youngsters" smash panels at the bus shelter before they got on a bus heading to Thurso.
Three glass and perspex panels are gone in the shelter leaving commuters exposed to the weather. The remaining panels have been scratched, burnt and filled with graffiti and the framework of the shelter is dirty and covered in green mould – a proven health hazard.
Nearby, the former Houston's restaurant was a recent target for vandals who gained access to the building and caused extensive damage to the interior as highlighted in this paper. Graffiti was also sprayed on to the Wick riverside boating shed not long after it was repainted and the quoiting shed has also been targeted by vandals.
The Poundstretcher staff member said there was "no sign of the police" despite having called about the issue over an hour before.
Another regular bus user, Peter Todd from Thurso, slammed this shelter and others in Caithness as being "wholly inadequate".
"As a bus user who travels from Caithness to Inverness for weekly [medical] treatment – which involves getting the first bus south at 6.20am from Thurso – the bus shelters are wholly inadequate and I often end up drenched to the skin as they're either vandalised or have no proper shelter."
Mr Todd claims he is often forced to travel on the bus wearing wet clothes for almost four hours which he points out is "clearly not ideal for the elderly".
"To make matters worse the digital screens have not worked for months and not one councillor has rattled cages to get them and the bus shelters fixed."
Mr Todd added that the lack of electronic information at the shelters could leave patients travelling to Inverness late for hospital appointments and "soaked to the bone on their marathon trips too".
"It is about time that local councillors earned their corn before the public wake up and smell the coffee."
The Highland Council, which own and maintain the region's bus shelters, said: “Any vandalism anywhere in the Highlands is a complete waste of council tax payers’ money as it diverts council staff and resources away from delivering the essential services that are required.
"We urge anyone who has any information about or witnesses vandalism to contact the police on 101. Persistent vandalism may result in shelters being removed, which would disadvantage the public in the area.”
The police are currently investigating the vandalism incident and are appealing for information. A spokesman said: "Anyone with information which can assist with identifying those responsible is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident NJ560/19, or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."
