Middlewich's Community Pride group was promised three new bus shelters to replace vandalised and dilapidated ones in Booth Lane and Warmingham Lane at a rate of one per financial year - but this was more than 18 months ago and the first is yet to appear.

Now it seems there is no funding available for the shelters until next year at the earliest.

Chris Overton, from the community pride group and the clean team, said: "We put in for grants for two to be replaced but all the grant money has gone for this year.

"It stands a good chance but not until 2007/08."

She said the group hopes advertising could fund a replacement for the third shelter, in Booth Lane, which Cheshire County Council is currently investigating.

Chris said: "The judges for North West in Bloom are coming on Thursday and they want to drive around but the last thing we want to do is take them by the bus shelters."

She added: "Middlewich is the dumping ground for Cheshire.

"The council isn't prepared to spend money on us to give us one bus shelter - all we're asking for is three and it can't give us one - but it's quite happy to give us an incinerator and dump.

"We're quite prepared to wait for one a year or to be given some idea of a time but we just seem to be banging our heads against a brick wall."

Anger grows at long wait for a single bus shelter