Tory campaigners today branded a Castle Point shopping centre a "mess" despite thousands of pounds being pumped into the area.

Norman Ladzrie of the Cedar Hall Conservative Action Team, hit out at the way the Hart Road shopping area, in Thundersley Old Village, is maintained.

However, Labour mayor Charles Smith, rubbished the claims and defended the council's record in the area.

Mr Ladzrie said: "Several thousand pounds has been spent laying pretty new brick paving and installing circular seats outside the shops in Thundersley Old Village.

"While the area that has been done looks very nice and pretty, just the other side of the road is a mess with rubbish strewn across flower beds and rubbish bin bases left with no bins."

Mr Ladzrie also complained that a bus shelter with orange tape placed where vandals have broken the glass "offers no protection from the elements for anyone waiting for a bus."

Mr Smith hit back at the claims. He said: "We have got the litter hotline which I have phoned in the past and the problem has been dealt with the next day.

"I saw a broken bus stop in Kenneth Road and I reported it to the hotline. Within three hours it had been cleaned up and new glass had been put in."

However, businessman, Ani Patel, 22, of Hart Road, Thundersley, today defended the shopping parade.

He said: "It is much better now than it was before and there is not much of a litter problem. "It is definitely not a mess as far as I am concerned.

"In the summer they put hanging baskets up which really adds to the area and as far as I can see none of the bus stops are broken."

Published Monday, April 14, 2003

Brought to you by the Evening Echo