A NUMBER of bus services have been changed or withdrawn following a row over funding.

Wardle Transport, a subsidiary of Arriva, says it is being forced to make the changes to its timetable due to a withdrawal of local authority subsidies.

The changes, which came into force yesterday, will affect:

Service 1E between Uttoxeter and Burton. Wardles will no longer run a 7.35am service from Uttoxeter, or an 8.25pm bus from Burton, on Sundays.

Service 7, between Longton, Blythe Bridge, Cheadle and Tean. The 6.56am service is being scrapped and the 7.45am bus will run weekdays only.

Service 7A between Longton and Cheadle. The 8.15am departure from Cheadle will only run during weekdays.

Service 34, between Hanley, Newcastle and Wereton. The 10.47pm bus from Wereton will be cut, as will the 11.02am Sunday bus from Hanley.

Service 94A between Audley and Newcastle. Sunday journeys leaving at 10.13pm and 11.13pm from Audley will be dropped, as will 10.45pm and 11.45pm services from Newcastle.

Service 250 between Longton, Stone and Walton. Wardles will no longer run a 6.20am service from Longton, or a 6.50am route from Walton. Some Saturday services have been cancelled including the 8am run from Longton, 9.05am from Oulton to Walton, 8.30am Walton to Stone, and 9am Stone to Oulton.

Keith Myatt, communications manager for Arriva Midlands, said: "Following a review of sponsored local bus services, Staffordshire County Council will no longer be supporting the journeys being withdrawn.

"We would like to apologise to customers for any inconvenience caused by this decision, which is clearly beyond our control."

Staffordshire County Council said it did everything it could to help the services continue after Stoke-on-Trent City Council also pulled its funding.

Mike Maryon, the county council's Tory cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "These changes were proposed in May 2011 by D&G Buses which ran the routes until it sold part of the company to Wardles, a subsidiary of Arriva, last summer.

"D&G Buses approached Staffordshire County Council in mid-2011 asking for an increase in its subsidies following the withdrawal of funding from Stoke-on-Trent City Council and increases in running costs.

"Staffordshire County Council continued to subsidise the services and even increased the funding so that most services could continue unchanged. It did not withdraw any of the subsidies. However, the council was not prepared to increase the level of subsidy for all routes and D&G decided to withdraw some Sunday journeys that were no longer viable."

A number of changes to bus services across Stoke-on-Trent were made last year following the city council's decision to scrap its £313,000-a-year subsidy.

Selwyn Brown, chairman of North Staffordshire bus users' group Aces, said: "To be fair they are little used routes."

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