VILLAGERS in King's Somborne have been angered by a new Wilts & Dorset timetable which has altered bus services in the area.

But the operator says the timetable update, which started on 6 January when Wilts & Dorset took over the running of some services from Stagecoach, should benefit passengers.

Alan Cooke, who lives in Romsey Road, King's Somborne, said: "Yet again the village has suffered from the new timetable. Connect-ions at Over Wallop for services to Salisbury are no longer guaranteed and the early morning direct service is still maintained on schooldays only with a return from Salisbury at 3 o'clock.

"Otherwise, in the new timetable, Salisbury can be reached on Tuesdays and Saturdays only with a change at Stockbridge two or three times a day.

"Horsebridge seems to have lost all services, which were previously one a day."

But Gerald Good, Wilts & Dorset's district manager, maintained: "This is an exciting time for the company and we look forward to welcoming both old and new customers in the area."

Wilts & Dorset have taken over the running of the service 87 between Salisbury, The Wallops and Andover and made changes to the timetable. There have been some minor changes to Wilts & Dorset's existing services 88 and 89 between Salisbury, Winterslow and Andover.

The company has introduced a new Tuesday and Sat-urday service numbered 68, between Salisbury and Stock-bridge, which will connect with Stagecoach Hampshire services to Winchester. The existing connections between services 68 and 77/87 at Over Wallop will no longer run.