PENSIONER Brenda Tapster says she is sick of getting wet while waiting for a bus in Fleming Way.

She claims the shelter, at the stop for Thamesdown Transport services 10, 10a and 11, has been a ruin since last May.

"It has been bound up with orange tape ever since then and nobody is doing a thing about it," said the 69-year-old grandmother who lives in Whitworth Road with her husband Alex.

"I have never complained to the council about anything before, but because this bus shelter has been in this terrible state for so long, I now feel strongly about this. A lot of elderly people use this stop when they go shopping in town and we're sick of getting soaking wet and freezing cold.

"Yet the answer I got when I did complain was that they are in dispute with an insurance company over it.

"That was at least a month ago. It's awful now, but with winter coming on, it will soon become even worse having to wait for buses there if something isn't done."

Mrs Tapster and her 74-year-old husband no longer own a car.

"I don't drive anyway," she said.

"I go into town to shop two or three times most weeks and buses are now our only form of transport."

According to Mrs Tapster the stop is well used every day and in the run-up to Christmas is likely to be even busier. From next Monday the stop outside Debenhams will also be used by passengers travelling to the new Walmart-Asda store at North Swindon.

Council spokeswoman Lynda Fleming said bus stops within the borough are the council's responsibility, with the exception of those erected and owned by advertising companies.

"This one was hit by a bus. It's an Abacus shelter and it is Abacus' job to repair it. It came down four weeks ago and decided to put a new one in its place. At the moment we don't know when that is likely to happen, but we are chasing it up."