ELDERLY villagers are pleading for the bus service they rely on to get into Bridgwater to be saved.

Somerset County Council is axing the Hatch Green Coaches number 17 service from April 27.

It goes through Moorland, Fordgate, Catcott, Bawdrip and Burtle into Bridgwater town centre, three days a week.

The move follows the council's decision to cut £2.4million from bus subsidies over the next three years.

Ronald Carr, who lives in Moorlinch, said a group of older people in the villages who depend on the service so they can do their weekly shop would be left stranded.

He told the Mercury: “Most people have transport so it is quite hard to fill the buses but where we are, there are quite a few old residents without transport and the local bus is their only means of getting into town.

“We understand the council needs to cut costs but we want to know if it would be possible to keep running the service just one day a week.

“It would mean everything to all the local older people because there is no other way for them to do their shopping unless a neighbour gives them a lift.”

Hatch Green Coaches says it operates the service on behalf of the county council and has no input into which routes are withdrawn or remain.

Somerset County Council says it is “unfortunate” the service will no longer run but says there is a Slinky Sedgemoor bus which operates in the area and runs a door-to-door service carrying free concessionary passengers.