Bus users are being taken for a ride by yobs who have vandalised nearly half the city's bus shelters and caused £40,000 damage.

Oxford City Council, which is responsible for the maintenance of bus shelters, says 50 out of the city's 129 bus shelters are currently in a state of disrepair.

The total cost of the repair work is estimated to be £50,000, with £40,000 worth of the destruction being caused by vandals.

The catalogue of damage includes obscene graffiti on the walls and the destruction or removal of perspex panels and roofs.

Repair work is carried out on shelters by the city council twice a year in September and in April.

Green Party city councillor Elise Benjamin said it was worrying that so many bus shelters had been damaged.

She said a good bus service in the city was important, not only to try to tackle climate change, but because large sections of the community, like the elderly and infirm, relied on it.

However, the council admits that at least one shelter in Wood Farm has slipped through the net and has been in a poor state for nearly two years.

Those living in Wood Farm say the shelter, in Wood Farm Road, presents a terrible image of the estate, because it is one of the first things new people entering it see.

Residents say it a disgrace that the shelter, which has two panes of glass kicked in, broken seats and graffiti and mud on the side panels has been neglected for so long.

Local councillor Joe McManners said: "It is one of the first things you see when you enter the estate and it does not present a good first impression of it.

"It is an eyesore that needs to be sorted out."

Wood Farm resident Peter Bonney added: "Buses come up that road every five minutes, and it does not help the area whatsoever.

"They have improved other bus shelters elsewhere in the city but never touched this one."

The council has assured Wood Farm residents that the bus shelter will be fixed in the next round of maintenance work due to be carried out in September.

Council spokesman Christopher Lee said: "We regret that this bus shelter has not been dealt with sooner.

"But we will shortly commence a programme of repair and maintenance to bring all the city's bus shelters up to a respectable standard."

The council said the number of bus shelters in a state of disrepair had remained the same over the past year.

A Stagecoach spokesman said: "We are very concerned at the state of shelters because passengers should enjoy a good level of comfort when using a service."