A GROUP of Oxford residents have hit out after one of their bus stops was roped off without warning.

The bus stop at the junction of London Road and Latimer Road, Headington, was closed for nearly a week because of work being done by Southern Electric.

Bus companies were unable to set up a replacement bus stop because they couldn’t find a “suitable and safe” site.

Highfield Residents’ Association’s Patrick Coulter, who lives in Stapleton Road, said residents were not told the stop would be closed.

He added some people stood at the bus stop not realising it was not operational.

He said: “They took away our local bus stop without any warning. The buses were just going past as people waved.

“A lot of people use that stop and it is right by an old people’s home. There was no notice and it was not clear what was happening.”

Mr Coulter said contractors left the site after digging a trench, leaving residents with a 10-minute walk if they wanted to catch the bus.

The next stop along the route into the city centre is just before Gipsy Lane.

Mike Ratcliffe, 41, who lives in Bickerton Road, said: “It is silly the way they have done this work.

“They have no idea of the inconvenience they have caused.”

But with the bus stop, which closed on Friday, December 2, back in action from Thursday, Southern Electric said it did everything it could to prevent any disruption during the work to upgrade to the network in the area.

Spokesman Sharon Miller-McKenzie said: “We have been asked to do the work on behalf of Oxford University for their student accommodation.

“We have been doing everything we can to minimise the disruption and have been doing everything we would normally do.”

Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Owen Morton admitted no notice was put up at the bus stop to tell people about the work and apologised for the error.

He said: “The county council was made aware of the work, and although efforts were made by bus companies to identify a suitable and safe site for a temporary stop nearby, none could be found.

“Despite this, information should have been provided to direct passengers to the nearest available bus stops and we are sorry for the inconvenience and confusion this has caused.”

dfantato@oxfordmail.co.uk