A LONG-term Burnholme resident today called for the removal of a bus shelter he says is attracting nuisance youths behind a spate of vandalism.

Carl Balfour, of Stray Road, claims the youths gather in the shelter near his home to drink before smashing things up.

He said that in the most recent incident, youths kicked down a section of his garden wall before using the debris to smash windows in the shelter.

Mr Balfour, 63, said: "The shelter has been here about a year. Before that, things were nowhere near as bad.

"Before them smashing the shelter up, I've had my garden damaged and windows put through.

"They gather in there to get drunk, especially if it is raining, then go out and damage things.

"It is driving us up the wall, we're all sick of it.

"They want locking up, then they might learn some respect."

Last Friday's damage to the bus shelter is the latest in a string of complaints about drink-fuelled young vandals in the area.

In April, residents were told no police help was available as young thugs smashed up Heworth Without Community Centre, in Applecroft Road, near Mr Balfour's home.

Mr Balfour said: "I've been here nearly 40 years and I've seen this before, 20 years back, when another bus shelter was there.

"They took that away and it ended, brought it back and it starts again."

A spokesman for City of York Council said: "This shelter is very popular with bus users in the area and we know that because people have told us so.

"The bus shelter was installed in March last year in response to demand from within the community itself.

"Although there have only been three recorded incidents of vandalism in the shelter since it was installed, we have removed a seat to discourage youths from congregating in it.

"We have now received a petition asking for it to be removed but, although there have been reports of youths causing trouble in the wider Burnholme area, we do not believe from our own investigations that the shelter is to blame for any of that.

"The shelter is away from housing in an exposed area.

"As a council, we have responded to residents' demands to provide them with a bus shelter and improving such facilities across the city is part of the council's on-going commitment to meeting residents' demands for less congestion and traffic by improving alternative, public transport facilities.

"We will, of course, continue to monitor the situation at this particular shelter."

York Police confirmed that the incidents had been reported.

Updated: 16:16 Monday, June 17, 2002