Councillor reacts as Pudsey bus station hit by vandals

One of the automatic doors for Pudsey Bus Station’s waiting area was completely yanked off its hinges this Bank Holiday weekend.  

Cllr Trish Smith (Pudsey, Conservative) said the incident had “left the wrong impression of who we are”.

Cllr Smith told the Telegraph & Argus: “I am saddened to see the escalation in ASB again and will be raising it with the relevant authorities.

“As a ward, we have so much for our young people to do but unfortunately there is a core of those who just refuse to engage, leading to damage such as this - damage that must be paid for at a time we can least afford it.

Damage to Pudsey Bus Station. Picture: Cllr Trish Smith

“Pudsey is a lovely place with a fantastic community and wealth of volunteers trying to make things better for everyone, creating a warm and inviting town centre for all to enjoy.

“Incidents like this just leave the wrong impression of who we are.”

Contractors started work to repair the door on Bank Holiday Monday.

It came after a recent meeting raised concerns around serious knife, anti-social behaviour and drug-related crime in the area.

Four recent stabbings had been reported in Pudsey by mid July, a public meeting was told, with councillors warned of the effects of County Lines – where organised gangs ferry drugs between different places.

The issue was brought up during a debate about how funding to tackle crime is divided between disadvantaged communities and more affluent areas.

Pudsey has Leeds’ second most-visited park and the market town is well-known for its thriving grassroots sports scene, which has produced a glut of county cricketers for Yorkshire.

Conservative councillor Amanda Carter, who represents the nearby Calverley and Farsley ward, said: “Pudsey is not an area you’d think has high deprivation, but there are small pockets of it and there are serious problems in terms of knife crime.”

Chief Inspector Pete Hall, from West Yorkshire Police, said there had been an increase in serious youth violence “compared to Covid times”.

He said the force had recruited another youth crime prevention officer to help address that.

Back in 2019, West Yorkshire Police and Leeds City Council held a meeting to discuss a “spike” in anti social behaviour in Pudsey.

There had been an increase in reports of young people congregating in areas of the town and committing a series of offences.

Incidents included throwing stones and missiles, verbally abusing passers by, criminal damage, taking drugs and the illegal use of fireworks.

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