Ref. 72602-23A BUS passenger in Swindon is puzzling over the mysterious disappearance of the bus stop she used five times a week.

Parent Sarah Odey has been left scratching her head after the stop in Towcester Road, Coleview, vanished.

The 29-year-old mum, from Chalvedon Green, Park North used the bus every day to take her children to Colebrook Junior School in Towcester Road.

But the concrete post with a bus stop sign on it has gone.

Sarah said buses usually stop just a few yards from the school entrance before they head towards the Stratton Park shopping area.

She is worried the drop-off point might get overlooked by some drivers without a proper stop.

"It's just a concrete pole with a bus stop sign on it," she said.

"I used it every day, five times a week and then on Friday when I went there, I thought 'There's something missing here' and it had gone."

The stop which is served solely by Thamesdown Transport's 1A route, which runs from Middle-leaze and Grange Park in West Swindon via Fleming Way to Coleview and Stratton Park past the school.

"It's a bit of a concern because you are not sure whether the bus will stop there," she said.

"I am sure many of the older drivers will but some of the younger ones might not."

John Owen, managing director of Thamesdown Transport, said: "We have only just found out about this bus stop ourselves.

"The stop is on a lamp-post and it appears it may have been taken down and we are not sure why that is yet. We making arrangements to get a replacement stop installed in the next few days."

Sarah Deacon, for Swindon Council said: "After a bus accident in Towcester Road earlier this year, we made the decision to re-light the street.

"We took out the seven existing lamp posts and replaced them with nine new ones.

"Because of the extra number we had to re-position all the lights.

"The new one is now approximately six metres away from the old site. When the work was being done, the bus stop sign was sent back to Thamesdown Transport.

"It will now be up to them to put up an independent pole to put the bus stop sign on.

Earlier this week, the council launched a new text messaging system for the town's buses mobile phone users can now find out the times for the next three buses from any of the borough's bus stops.

The scheme has been introduced to try and encourage more people to use public transport.

Anthony Osborne