AN OSWALDTWISTLE couple who inherited a bus shelter as a new front porch can see the light again now it has been moved.

Keith Simpson was gobsmacked when he returned home from work last month to find the bus stop had been erected just a couple of feet away from his front door in Union Road.

It had been moved 50 yards from another spot and soon attracted gangs of youths who congregated in the shelter drinking and banging on the couple's front windows.

But a week after a story highlighting the problem in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, Hyndburn Council leader Peter Britcliffe called a meeting with Lancashire County Council to look into the matter and the offending shelter has finally been moved.

Keith and wife, Christine, say they soon had difficulty accessing their property because of people waiting for buses outside the front door of their home, a converted hairdressing salon where they have lived for 15 years, and the youths caused problems later at night Their granddaughter had also been afraid to visit the house because of the crowds of people standing in the way and other visitors had felt uncomfortable talking at the door because queuers could listen to their conversations.

Mr Simpson, 60, a wagon driver for Icethaw Salt Supplies Ltd, GEC business park, Clayton-le-Moors, said: "We were really hoping it would be gone before Christmas as it looked a right state and we had people coming during the festive period.

"When my wife was putting up the Christmas decorations she didn't know whether to put them across to the shelter or not. And a number of people had suggested decorating it and even baking mince pies for the people queuing up!

"We can joke about it now but we were really miffed about it and didn't know which way to turn. It's thanks to the Lancashire Evening Telegraph for getting involved that it's gone now.

"It looks so much lighter in the front room that the difference is amazing."

Coun Britcliffe called the meeting four weeks ago to establish whose mistake had caused the shelter to be put outside the Simpsons' house. He said that Primesite, the London-based advertising company which negotiated with Hyndburn Borough Council and Lancashire County Council for the right to erect shelters in the borough, had put it in the wrong place.