'I've been told my poo-themed bus lowers the tone - but kids love it'

For Barry Busby, buying a £300 minibus was a chance to stamp his personality on a vehicle that has become a popular but occasionally divisive local sight.

The 17-seater LDV Convoy is used for both family outings and his work as a glazier, but Barry decided to decorate the bus with a poo theme.

The design delights children and he has had requests for stag do bookings, but more strait-laced residents of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, have accused the faecal-themed conveyance of lowering the tone of the spa town and nearby Knaresborough.

He said: "I thought, I'll make some people laugh and some people find it disgusting, so it's the best of both worlds."

The 48-year-old admitted his zany choice of transport receives a "mixed reaction" as he drives it around.

"You always get people smiling, waving, taking photographs, kids coming up and saying 'can we sit in it?'."

However, he is not insured to offer rides to hen and stag groups or take the bus on airport runs, despite enquiries for his services.

The controversy about whether the poo bus was in good taste arose when it was featured in a local newspaper with accusations that he was lowering the tone.

"You always get negativity from some people so you've just got to try and brush it off and just keep going and have a laugh about it."

One of his teenage neighbours loves the vehicle so much that he visits it several times a day.

"He comes around and loves the bus. If anything moves, he knows about it.

"We've got an elderly lady that walks past with the dog every day. She says it doesn't matter how miserable she is, or what mood she's in, she goes past, sees the bus and it always puts a smile on her face."

As well as large stickers all over the bus's exterior, the seats are covered in poo emoji cushions, with other stool-based souvenirs provided by friends, including a remote-controlled poo, poo whoopee cushion and nodding poos for the dashboard.

"Juliette Robb, who is Moira from Emmerdale's mum, she knitted me a poo emoji which we now use as a gear knob."

Barry also spent £250 on a custom poo-themed registration plate for the minibus and has kitted it out with a disco ball, flashing lights, TV, sound bar and gas stove for camping trips.

He now longer uses the bus for work, but when he did, was often mistaken for a plumber carrying out stomach-churning sewage jobs.

"There's always poo-related questions that I always get asked, no matter where I go."

It is now used for days out, often to the coast, and he takes it to the annual Christmas lights fundraiser in Starbeck and to Harrogate Car Enthusiasts meets.

Barry even wrote a children's book inspired by the bus's backstory - it was previously used by a church Sunday school.

Two sequels saw the bus going on adventures to the seaside and a theme park.

He sells the self-published books, which have space for children to illustrate themselves, at events he visits in the minibus.

"It's all about making people smile, cheering people up, because that's what we all need.

"Everything's so negative at the moment so if I can make people laugh and bring a positive to it, that's exactly what I'll do."

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