A BUS shelter in Cross Hills has got a new lease of life despite a series of misunderstandings over giving it a new lick of paint.

The shelter, which is situated outside South Craven School, has been in such a poor state that residents were forced to stand outside in the rain rather than use it. The shelter was often used as a urinal and was covered in graffiti and litter.

Coun Philip Barrett told the Herald he'd had numerous complaints about the shelter and that it was no longer fit for the purpose it was intended for.

Taking all this into account, youths at the school gave the stone construction a new lease of life by creating their own unique graffiti designs.

The results were welcomed by members of the parish council, who had asked the pupils some time ago to come up with designs to artistically graffiti the shelter.

However, the work, which took place during activity week, caused some confusion with local residents calling the police to complain about what they thought was unauthorised graffiti and contractors installing a window in the shelter turned the teenagers away.

Despite this misunderstanding all has ended well with the shelter finally being decorated by the end of the week.

Parish council chairman Gill Birks said: "I think the students from South Craven school have done a great job under the guidance of the graffiti artist and the results are really creative. It is especially good to have the involvement of young people in a real community project."

At the latest meeting of parish council, Coun Roger Nicholson asked that consideration was given to replacing the stone shelter with a new one similar to the transparent ones installed in Skipton as this would mean anyone misusing the shelter would be seen.

But vice-chairman Jenny Wood said the stone shelter had only been in place six years.

"It is right outside a huge comprehensive school. The last one they had which wasn't stone got in such a state it was dangerous to stand anywhere near it."

And the members refused to pay for the services of a graffiti artist employed by the school to teach the children how to paint the shelters. Councillors said they agreed to pay for £50 worth of paint and were unimpressed with the unexpected £300 bill.