DINGY underpasses are making a Walcot mum feel unsafe when she takes her child to school.

Kacie Chilcott travels along the pedestrian path that leads under Dorcan Way every weekday on the school run to Covingham Park Primary but claims it is often full of rubbish, broken glass and other mess.

The parish council say they regularly inspect the subway and clean it if need be.

Kacie said: "It makes me feel awful, it's quite scary and seems dangerous with all the debris, especially when I'm with my young child.

"All the vandalism sets a bad example to the hundreds of children who go to that school.

"It's unacceptable and I never see anyone cleaning it, they need to pull their socks up, it's not right.

"Teenagers with nothing better to do spray their names on the walls. It's sad, embarrassing and disrespectful.

"We need to raise awareness of the disrepair, not just there but around Swindon, like the route that runs from the outlet village to the Oasis which is just as bad.

"It could be very pleasant. Swindon is a beautiful place and we should be proud of it. The town centre is being made prettier but other areas are left behind."

Covingham Parish Council chair Val Curtis explained that maintenance workers visit the Dorcan Way underpass six days a week and clean any rubbish or broken bottles left there.

She added: "The workers are conscientious and brilliant at what they do, we can't fault them.

"They cover the whole length of the subway, though technically half of it runs into Nythe, Eldene and Liden Parish Council's territory.

"We try to be as proactive and reactive as possible.

"It does get messy but they keep an eye on things and do the work if they see anything out of the norm. Yesterday morning, there was nothing."

As for the graffiti, Ms Curtis said that existing vandalism would likely stay where it is.

She added: "Covingham Parish Council decided not to remove graffiti unless it was offensive.

"It's so expensive to remove graffiti and within a day or two, it usually gets replaced with something even worse as people seem to take delight in this mindless vandalism.

"So it's often left as it is - some of it could be considered artistic - but it is a difficult situation."