WAITING for the bus in Front Street, Acomb, York, has become a whole new experience after the appearance of a navy-blue three-seater sofa at the bus stop.

But the mystery of who put it there - and why - has proved a subject of intense speculation in the area, with two rival theories being circulated.

Newsagent Tony Chance, from Acomb Newsagents, said: "Just about every customer has been asking about it, but no one knows how it got there. Some people have taken it as a joke and think someone has put it there for a laugh, and others think it's a bit of a cheek to dump it there."

No one who spoke to the Evening Press knew where the settee had come from, but Tony said people had certainly been making themselves at home.

"One man got so comfortable reading his paper that he missed his bus!" he said.

And bus passenger Gary Crossley, 17, agreed: "It's brilliant - a valuable addition to the bus stop. I don't really care how it got here."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.