A COUNCIL has been accused of wasting public money after workmen mistakenly painted bus stop markings on a recentlyresurfaced stretch of road – years after services were re-routed.

Ingleby Moor Crescent, on the Firthmoor estate, in Darlington, was resurfaced earlier this year after concerns over the pot-holed state of the road.

Bus services were redirected to a different part of the estate in 2008 – missing out Ingleby Moor Crescent completely.

The reaction of local residents to the appearance of the freshly-painted lines has been a mixture of anger and bemusement, while a community leader has criticised Darlington Borough Council officials.

The council admitted the lines had been repainted by mistake, but said they would stay in place, to ease access arrangements for Firthmoor Primary School, which is on Ingleby Moor Crescent.

In February, Durham County Council faced taxpayers’ anger after it was revealed it had spent £5,000 on a bus shelter near the Salutation pub, in Framwellgate Moor, Durham City, only to discover that it was not on a bus route.

The council blamed a communication mix-up for the error.

Kevin Nicholson, chairman of Firthmoor Community Centre, described the latest mistake as an astonishing waste of public money.

He said: “There was a complete lack of preparation and incompetence by council officials.

“Regrettably, this is something that is becoming all too familiar for residents in our area.

“When the council is cutting vital funding from our community centre, just around the corner, it is building bus stops on roads which have not been on routes for years.

“This is another example of a council not engaging properly with local residents.”

Local resident Paul Sams said: “It is a bit puzzling that this has happened, there has not been a service bus here for ages.

“Sometimes you see school buses parked up there.”

A council spokeswoman said: “ It appears that, due to the dropped kerb and raised platform being in situ, yellow lines have been mistakenly repainted on the road where they had previously been.

“They will stay in place and will aid in disabled persons loading and unloading from buses at the school.”