CAMPAIGNERS have vowed to fight on to save a bus link set to be axed because it is too expensive to run.

South West Trains yesterday confirmed it will stop funding a Romsey-Winchester rail link bus service from July 28, because too few people use it.

Since December, SWT has funded seven bus services as part of the X66 route. Stagecoach will continue to run two: the 7.40am Winchester-Romsey and the 8.07am Romsey-Winchester as sufficient passengers use them.

Ceasing from July 28 will be the 6.15am, 6.45am and 9.45pm from Romsey and the 8.10pm and 10.10pm from Winchester.

SWT says that on average they only carry between one and eight passengers. The daytime X66 service is unaffected.

Disappointed Bus campaigner Nadine Taylor said she was "angry and disappointed".

She said: "We are losing the last remnants of a bus service that was relied heavily on by the working people of the town and villages along the way.

"Do not think this is the end of our campaign as we believe that the people of Romsey need and deserve a bus service that meets their needs."

SWT area manager Chris Haresign said: "We realise that those who do use it will be disappointed and we are sorry that they will now have to look for alternative ways of getting to the city centre."

A working group was set up last December to evaluate the service, comprising of representatives from SWT, Stagecoach, Hampshire County Council, Test Valley Borough Council, Winchester City Council and councillors representing the communities along the route.

SWT said the group accepted SWT's decision that they could no longer subsidise these services bearing in mind the low number of passengers using them.