PASSENGERS have been left out in the cold at Menston Station after vandals stole the handle of the waiting room.

The handle disappeared more than two weeks ago leaving travellers to Leeds and Bradford no option but to brave the freezing temperatures on some of the coldest days of the year.

Chilly commuters had no way of entering the cosy waiting room as one door bore a sign saying out of order and the other was locked.

Now travellers fed up of braving the elements on the platform have appealed to Councillor Graham Kirkland (Lib Dem, Otley and Wharfedale) to put an end to their big freeze.

Coun Kirkland said: "It is disgusting that vandalism has wrecked a useful community asset.

"On one door the handle has fallen off and the other is simply swollen in the winter weather. That is no reason to close a waiting room.

"It is very cold on Menston Station platform and on Wednesday morning the 7.33 and the 8.03 both failed to turn up so there were more than a hundred people wishing to travel to Leeds standing in the cold wind.

"So it is not just the station in need of repair it is the trains as well. I do not see why the Wharfedale line has to be the Cinderella line.

"What I would suggest is that people write to the chairman of the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive."

The councillor, who has also contacted Northern Spirit, has called for the tape in the Closed Circuit Television Cameras in the waiting room to be examined in a bid to catch the culprits.

He said: "There is no better deterrent than the certainty of being caught in the act. Whoever did it will be on candid camera."

A spokeswoman for Northern Spirit said: "Work is required to repair a door to one of the platforms and will be carried out as soon as possible.

"There has be no vandalism."

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