IT IS an issue that has businesses worried and a bus company considering pulling its service out of a Hampshire village if something is not done.

First bus operator claims its buses are being damaged due to parked cars on a road in Titchfield, leaving them with too little space to manoeuvre.

It claims this has led to £100,000 of damage to its buses or to people’s cars damaged by buses in two years.

The firm is calling for parking restrictions on South Street butbusinesses fear this could affect trade.

Now a meeting has been called to resolve the issue.

The 4A runs between Fareham and Southampton, passing through Titchfield, including South Street, a single lane road which has a layby with bays for 20-minutes’ free parking.

County council executive member for transport Sean Woodward, pictured, said First told him something needed to be done or it would consider bypassing Titchfield.

He said it was a matter of choosing between yellow lines affecting businesses or face losing the service.

He added one possibility was to change the parking regulations in The Square nearby to one hour rather than all day.

Derek Haggard, owner of Hadlows Butchers, said stopping the parking could mean the end of his business.

He said many of his customers are older and come from further away, and would struggle to walk to the car park.

He said that he had not seen any collisions, though had seen buses struggling to get through and asked why First could not change the route.

“It could be the end of my livelihood. We’re all concerned,” he added.

Chrissie Bainbridge, business performance director for First Hampshire, Dorset and Berkshire, said that of all the incidents in Titchfield, 27 per cent took place in the street in 2012 and 30 per cent in 2013.

The company has found no suitable alternative and Ms Bainbridge said if no solution was found, First would consider withdrawing the service.

• The meeting will take place today in the Parish Rooms, in The Square at 6.45pm.