COUNTY council transport co-ordinators have confirmed there will be cuts in the bus services from the Kennet Valley villages into Marlborough.

Pensioner Doris Langford from Knights Close in West Overton told the Gazette this week there were fears in the Kennet Valley that bus services were about to be slashed.

Mrs Langford said many people, in particular the elderly, relied on buses to get to the shops and post office in Marlborough.

She said there was a rumour circulating in the villages that instead of the present regular service provided by Thamesdown Transport there would be just two buses to Marlborough a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Mrs Langford, a leading member of the Kennet Valley Over 60s Club, said: "Without the buses we would be stranded and we would not be able to get into Marlborough to go shopping, go to the doctors, the banks, the dentists and all the other things we need."

A Wiltshire County Council spokesman told the Gazette there would be some cuts in services but not as drastic as Mrs Langford and other villagers feared.

He said: "We are engaged in a review of bus services which operate through the Kennet Valley to Marlborough and are consulting with the parish councils along the route about the introduction of a new timetable that can be operated more cost effectively.

"This will involve diverting some services that currently run direct along the A4, through the Kennet Valley villages to replace some off-peak services currently operated by Thamesdown Transport.

"While this may involve a slight reduction in the number of journeys operated, villages such as West Overton will still have at least seven buses a day to Marlborough on weekdays and four per day on Saturdays."

Mrs Langford said villagers would be relieved that their buses were not being cut quite as drastically as had been feared.