HE’S diabetic, suffers from gout and is not as steady on his feet as he used to be.

While the younger among us would not think twice about vandalism to a bus shelter, to one 80-year-old it was a major problem.

Ken Southcott said the damage to the shelter in Winnall Manor Road had left it without seats for more than three months.

Mr Southcott, of Alresford Road, who lives alone, said: “It was very important to me, I’m 80 years old with a stick. And if I miss the bus I have to stand in the cold. It was dreadful, I just had to lean against the shelter.”

The pensioner said he spoke to Stagecoach and rang 101 but they were unable to help him. It was then that he contacted Winchester MP Steve Brine who managed to get new seats installed.

Mr Brine said: “I was brought up to believe it’s the little things in life that make a big difference and this is a very good example of that. “It was a bit of a palaver to get this fixed but we got there in the end. “There will be some who say this is not something for an MP to get involved in but others were getting nowhere fast and seeing Mr Southcott’s taking the weight off his feet waiting for his bus into town was worth every bit of effort.”