Up to 18 bus stops in Maidstone, Larkfield, Ditton and Aylesford were smashed in overnight vandalism spree
00:00, 06 October 2014
updated: 16:15, 06 October 2014
Up to 18 bus stops have been smashed during an overnight vandalism spree.
Glass shelters in Maidstone, Aylesford, Ditton and Larkfield were all deliberately damaged between Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Thirteen of the targets were along a 3.7-mile stretch of the London Road.
It’s believed the stop at the junction of Bower Mount Road, in Maidstone, was the first to be struck and the two outside Wealden Hall in Larkfield, were the last.
Four other shattered shelters have been reported in Royal Engineers Road, another was broken near the Running Horse Roundabout and one outside the Archbishop’s Palace, in Mill Street, was wrecked.
An elderly lady, who did not wish to be named, lives by one of the damaged shelters on the London Road in Allington.
She said: “I didn’t hear any glass smashing or disturbances on Saturday night. The first thing I knew about it was when I went out to walk my dog on Sunday morning and saw glass all over the pavement. A child could have fallen over and cut themselves. It’s just mindless vandalism.”
By Monday, warning tape had been tied to most of the damaged structures and the shards of shattered glass had been swept away but others were left unattended.
Cllr Dan Daley, who represents Allington ward, said he reported the issue to Maidstone council but had not heard any other details of when it happened.
The council said the bus stop provider, JCDecaux, would repair the broken glass panels, at no cost to the tax payer.
A spokesman for Kent Police said officers have launched an investigation and are speaking with the company to determine how many stops were vandalised.
