A WELL used bench next to a bus stop disappeared over night.

The seat on Epping high street next to St John's church was often used by elderly people waiting for the bus, but they were left confused when arriving at the spot to find it empty.

Both the town and district council claimed they did not know anything about it's disappearance, but owner of the Speak Easy bar Robert Bell said he had asked for it to moved.

He added: "It's a hanging out point for kids outside my bar. We had some kids drinking outside and so I asked for the bench to be moved.

"It was a hang out for delinquents and they were also using it for skate boarding so an officer from the council agreed that it wasn't the right place for it to be."

A spokesman from the District Council said the town council was responsible for the bench.

But Epping council's Town Clerk Bob Whittome said it had nothing to do with them.

He added: "It's not our bench and we didn't move it. We haven't moved it or touched it."

Ivy Robinson, 84 from Epping was angry the bench had gone.

She said: "I wonder if the Speak Easy wanted it moved so they could put more tables and chairs out there. Next time I come from Tesco I'm going to sit down on one of Speak Easy's seats and when I'm asked to move I will say no, I'm sitting here because the bench has been taken away.

"It's well used and I see old people and young children waiting there all the time. People use it to wait for the bus and the seats in the bus shelter aren't easy to sit on for elderly people."

Mr Bell said the bench was of no use outside his bar.

He added: "It was no good for older people because they sat on it to wait for the bus, but then they didn't make it to the bus and missed it because it wasn't very close to the bus stop.

"It's just busy bodies complaing with nothing better to do with their time. But they're not here at 1am when all the delinquents hang outside my bar."