A pressure group has claimed that bus passengers were let down by the organisers of a celebration to kick off Christmas in Colchester.

The High Street was shut all day on Sunday for a food and drink fair, leading up to the Christmas lights switch-on at dusk.

Thousands of people flocked to the event, organised by Colchester Town Partnership. But C-Bus, the Colchester Bus Users' Support Group, said today that the festive fun had been spoiled for bus passengers who were left to "guess for themselves" how best to get home.

Secretary Peter Kay said members had resorted to sticking information notices of their own on bus stops as the partnership and bus operators had failed to properly publicise diversion routes.

Town centre manager Chris Rawlinson agreed that a better system was needed to inform passengers of timetable alterations, but she denied the High Street closure had been unnecessary.

She said: "People at the event were all saying to me how nice it was that the street was shut to traffic. This was a fun Christmas occasion and it is the sort of thing we should be able to hold."

Published Wednesday, November 24, 2004

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