VILLAGERS are ‘up in arms’ after a bus shelter dedicated to a well-loved member of the community was defaced at the weekend.

Last year Paul Turnbull revamped the unloved bus shelter in Mount Pleasant, Tebay, in tribute to his bus driver wife Margaret- ‘Mags’- who he lost to cancer in 2019.

The 61-year-old drove the 106 bus from Penrith to Kendal, and later the school bus from Tebay to Sedbergh, and began each school run from the bus shelter in Mount Pleasant.

Mr Turnbull said he felt ‘hurt’ and ‘angry’ after he discovered graffiti on the walls of the bus shelter on Saturday.

Mags was a popular and respected figure in the community and the shelter’s renovation had the full backing of residents and the parish council.

“I was hurt, upset and angry,” said Mr Turnbull.

“I was extremely hurt.

“Because of what it means and how well respected she was in the village everybody’s up in arms about it.

“It shows a lack of respect for the community.”

Mr Turnbull expressed his frustration on Facebook and received a deluge of comments from residents offering to help return the shelter to its previous state.

“I got a lot of really nice comments on there,” he said.

“Residents said how disgusting it was and offered help, which was really nice.

“Everyone was up in arms and disgusted by it.

“The only saving grace was that the plaques and pictures I put up were unscathed.”

Thankfully, Mr Turnbull and his father have been able to remove the graffiti and police are investigating the incident.

“We have been down and returned it to how it should be,” he said.

“We scrubbed it off with wire brushes as best we could and painted over it.

“I don’t think it was targeted.”

A force spokeswoman said: “Police are investigating an incident of vandalism which occurred at the bus shelter, Mount Pleasant, Tebay on July 10 at approximately 10 am.

“It was reported that an unknown male was seen on CCTV to spray white paint on the building, causing permanent damage.

“No further description of male at this time.

“Anyone with information is encouraged to report online at www.cumbria.police.uk/reportit , quoting incident number 195 of 10 July.

“You can also phone on 101 and ask to speak to PC 2643.”