Transport bosses have apologised to passengers for a “terrible” smell which has been plaguing Leeds City Bus Station for nearly a fortnight.

Staff at the terminus in the city centre said the odour had been lingering inside the building for at least 10 days.

One bus passenger, Scott, 29, said he had stopped taking his children inside the bus station because of the “horrible” stench.

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), responsible for running the bus station, told the BBC the cause of the smell was under investigation.

Some bus passengers on Sunday were seen to be visibly affected by the smell upon entering the station.

Maths and physics student Tobias Cannon, 19, who had travelled to Leeds from Manchester to go to work, told the BBC the bus station “reeks”.

“I walked in and was like, oh my days,” he said.

“It’s like fish. I don’t know what that’s all about.”

Another passenger described the smell as “terrible”, adding: “It smells like there are cows in there.”

Meanwhile, passenger Has Samin, 32, said he was shocked at the odour when he got off a coach after having travelled from London to Leeds.

“It’s very bad, very bad,” he said.

“I was confused because I have never smelt anything like that.”

A spokesperson for WYCA, which is responsible for managing the bus station under its remit covering transport in the region, said they wanted to “thank members of the public for their patience”.

Its team was “working with partners and contractors to investigate the problem”, they added.

“Further work is due to be carried out early next week and passengers will be regularly updated on its progress.”

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