JUBILANT residents are celebrating the council's decision to demolish a bus shelter which became a den for teenage delinquents.

Residents on Priory Drive, Darwen, took their complaints to councillors and Darwen MP Janet Anderson.

One said: "Youths were sometimes there at midnight and we couldn't get rid of them. They were loud and when we looked out we could see them drinking alcohol and climbing all over the shelter."

Council officers decided the shelter was too badly damaged to remain on the road after a site visit last week. The structure will be demolished in the next few days.

Residents hope any replacement will be sited elsewhere.

Coun Frank Connor said: "I'm very pleased the shelter will finally be demolished because it's what most of the residents want and I've been pushing for this for sometime. The shelter was a disgrace to such a beautiful area."

Mrs Anderson said: "I'm absolutely delighted because residents had written to me about the problems and I was appalled to hear what was going on there."

Graham Burgess, council executive director for regeneration, said that when the council's contractor went to see the shelter, it appeared to have been damaged possibly by a car.

"In light of this inspection, the shelter is deemed to be in a dangerous condition and demolition should take place this week."

The council will consider whether to replace the shelter in the next few weeks.