Bus shelters in Wigan town smashed up in "mindless" vandalism

Angry residents have blasted the “mindless” vandalism which saw two bus stops in a Wigan community smashed.

Both shelters in Ashton town centre had their glass panels shattered and large timetable removed during the incident.

CCTV appears to show the same perpetrator is responsible for all the damage.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) responded quickly on Twitter by ensuring the correct team would do the repair work.

Ashton councillor, Jenny Bullen, has also requested that repairing both bus stops be looked into as a matter of urgency.

It is expected the repair costs will run into the hundreds of pounds.

Danny Fletcher, founder of the Ashton Volunteer Group, together with a volunteer, swept away shattered glass from the pavement the following morning.

He said: “I was notified by a local resident that two bus stops had been damaged in Ashton town centre.

“However, when I arrived I didn’t expect the mess these mindless yobs had caused, shattered glass was everywhere.

“There was no way we could have left the glass on the pavement as it was, not only could pedestrians injure themselves, but also dog walkers were at very high risk.

“Myself and a volunteer from the Ashton Volunteer Group helped sweep away the glass and made sure that the pavement was as clear as possible early in the morning.”

He added: “I’m grateful to TfGM for responding so quickly and I hope the CCTV will aid in finding those responsible.”

The incident follows a spate of anti-social behaviour in Ashton recently.

Yobs have damaged bus stops, public bins and cars and wrecked newly planted trees on the town’s Jubilee Park.

Police also have CCTV images of children causing damage to passing cars and carrying fake guns.

The issues in Ashton come after Wigan Police launched a joint operation last month with the council to tackle concerns over anti-social behaviour in the borough.

Operation Bluefin has seen officers work alongside local authority teams to provide increased public reassurance and tackle the problem in the areas of most concern.

To report an incident of anti-social behaviour visit the Greater Manchester Police website or call 101.

Always dial 999 in an emergency.

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