Big hole in station ramp

Hot weather caused the concrete floor of the ramp to expand and swell up. It eventually cracked under the weight of a vehicle being used to clear pigeon mess from the platform, leaving a dangerous hump and a large hole some four inches deep.

The ramp is used by hundreds of commuters each day and station staff placed signs and cones to warn them of the danger.

The crack appeared last Wednesday afternoon and on Friday workmen removed the offending slabs of concrete and replaced them with plywood boards.

The incident raised new question marks over the safety of the station, which is already appallingly tatty. The remaining panes of glass are in constant danger of falling out. Graffiti and boarded-up windows have become the norm for commuters and provide a dubious welcome to visitors of the town.

Only last month Rother District Council threatened legal action against the station's owner, Network Rail, after it announced it had no funds to complete improvement works to the Grade II listed building.