ON Monday I arrived at my local bus stop at Mee Brow, at 11.30am in time for the next bus to Culcheth a mile away, to do my weekly shopping.

I waited and waited in the freezing cold for over an hour and a quarter.

None came.

Three went the other way towards Leigh, but nothing came my direction.

‘Should I wait a bit or walk it?’ I thought, and decided on the latter with my legs almost numb with cold.

I am still quite fit and able at 80 and have even been out racing my motorcycle, but I am averse to trudging a mile in cold weather with heavy bags when I have a bus pass and politicians tell us to avoid using our own transport.

After doing my shopping I then sat in the return bus shelter shivering along with other would-be passengers, two of whom gave up after an hour.

Eventually a bus arrived.

I got home at 2.45pm.

These bus companies have an obligation to provide a service but they don’t give two hoots.

There was an independent bus company from Leigh which put on a service a year ago but said that they weren’t allowed to display their service on the electronic display in the bus shelters and so gave up.

Both Warrington Borough Transport and Arriva are just as bad, buses regularly not arriving.

I am not interested in their excuses.

PETE WILLIAMS Culcheth