RURAL bus passengers have been left standing at the bus stop with nowhere to go following the sudden withdrawal of the popular 652 Ledbury to Cheltenham service. Passengers were given just a week's notice by Gloucester County Council that the service would no longer run.

"This has been a bitter blow to all its regular passengers," said Barbara Druce of Much Marcle and a regular user of the service. "It was the swiftness of the withdrawal that shocked people."

The Service, funded by Gloucester County Council, provided a good link between towns and villages before the plug was pulled. A spokesperson for George Young Coaches, who operated the service, said they were also shocked to hear that the service was being withdrawn. "We received very short notice from Gloucester Council," he said.

Alan Barrett, Urban Transport Manager at Gloucester County Council told the Gazette that the 652 was poorly patronised. He said:?"These changes delivered the savings we had to make from our transport budget while maintaining services that enabled people to get to work and school and other essentials."