A decision to spend over £1,500 a week on security guards to curb anti-social behaviour in a Bury St Edmunds bus station has been slammed.

West Suffolk Council has hired private security for the bus station following reports of "gangs of young people" and others "jumping on the seats".

Initially, the plan was to close the station down on November 1 but instead, the council decided to keep it open and guarded.

However, leader of the opposition on West Suffolk Nick Clarke says the council is paying for work the police should be doing and that locals were not consulted on the plans.

East Anglian Daily Times:

He said: “The responsibility for law and order in Bury St Edmunds rests with the police and not with West Suffolk Council particularly when we know the Western Way Leisure Centre Project has been cancelled by the Labour group on the grounds of costs and now thousands will be spent on security guards I think unnecessarily.”

Cllr Clarke added: “Two weeks ago, the ruling labour coalition took the decision unilaterally to close the waiting room at the bus station at that was without any consultation with anybody.

“We launched a campaign and were surprised to hear the cabinet member changed direction and is now not going to close the waiting room but is going to put guards there. We haven’t seen any statistics to say if this is needed or not. I suspect there will be another U-turn on this before long.

“We don’t know if this is an expense we need yet. Where are the statistics?.”

However, Bury St Edmunds police inspector Andy Beeby, has said previously that the council shares responsibility for dealing with anti-social behaviour with the police.

Since March, police have been called to multiple incidents including fighting, at the waiting room area.

Cabinet member for operations at West Suffolk Council David Taylor has said previously: “People have reported feeling unsafe and the continuous issues of crime and anti-social behaviour taking place in and around the waiting room.

“But I believe politicians should be prepared to listen, and I have listened and taken on board the concerns raised.

“We are putting in security to give the public greater confidence in using this facility.”

Suffolk Constabulary was contacted for further comment.