Bus users in Totton are fighting to get the vital T1 and T2 bus links restored.

This service, that picks up passengers from Hounsdown, Rushington and Ashurst Bridge, was slashed from six buses a day to just three earlier this year.

Hampshire County Council is in charge of the service, which is operated by Bluestar.

Ray Smith, 78, of Hounsdown Avenue, said: "This is a much-needed service and without six journeys a day it has become a lot less convenient to get about.

"This route was a lifeline for many elderly people who have no other way of accessing the services they need."

Hounsdown Community Association secretary Teresa Curry, 53, of Moonscross Avenue, said: "This is vital service that linked the top of Totton from the bottom.

"It can be inconvenient for the ordinary pedestrian but for an elderly person or a mum with kids it can be very difficult.

"If the county council don't find extra money to support this service the elderly people in Totton are going to find themselves increasingly isolated in their own homes."

David Harrison, county councillor for Totton South, said: "It's fair to say that the link service cannot operate without subsidy. However, it provides a vital lifeline for some of the most socially disadvantaged people in our community, the frail, elderly and a lot of people who have no other form of transport."

The cost of subsidising the service is too expensive, according to Hampshire County Council.

Mel Kendal, member for environment, said that the council would have to stump up £43,000 a year to run the service at the previous level.

He said: "Bus services are provided commercially and we provide support in a number of ways where a service is critical to the local community.

"Most of the roads on the T1 and T2 routes are also served by other bus services and the majority of passengers not directly served are within 400 metres of a bus route.

"Total subsidies for the Totton and Waterside area amount to £450,000 and services T1 and T2 account for £22,000 of this money, with further funding from Totton and Eling Town Council. Following cuts by Bluestar the cost to restore both T1 and T2 to six journeys per day would cost in the region of £21,000 more."

Bluestar operation manager Alex Horby said that the decisions on how many times a day this service ran depended entirely on Hampshire City Council.

The service currently gets £8,000 a year funding from Totton and Eling Town Council although in light of cutbacks this figure may be reduced, according to town clerk Derek Biggs.