Bombshell over wartime shelter

For years, John Girling’s Second World War Anderson shelter has been a key part of a street collection in Driffield, serenading shoppers with 1940s music over a Tannoy and raising hundreds of pounds for the charity.

But now council officials have told the Royal British Legion they cannot park it on the highway after a complaint. The Anderson shelter was due to go on show on Saturday next week.

Organisers have come up with an alternative display, minus the shelter, but fear the appeal will lose out on hundreds of pounds.

Poppy Appeal organiser John Forrester said they had never had a problem until East Riding Council took over the traffic warden service. He said: “We’ve been doing it for 12 years and everybody loves it.

“The person I spoke to said he was very sorry, but he couldn’t sanction it, it was more than his job was worth, it was against the law, it was on double yellow lines or words to that effect.

“We are still going to have a little display but is not going to draw the people as much as the Anderson shelter did.”

A resident said: “It’s the talk of the Main Street. Everybody is fuming about it.”

A council spokesman said: “A complaint had been made and the council asked them to move a short distance to try and resolve matters. If they do not wish to do so, they only have to say and get in touch with us and we would be happy to discuss the issue.”

About 1.5 million Anderson shelters were distributed from February 1939 to the outbreak of war and a further 2.1 million were built during hostilities.