QUICK-thinking members of Pershore's recently formed Public Transport Group, together with the town clerk, have saved the day for users of a local bus service which would have left customers without any buses for a whole week.

Astons Coaches some months ago gave notice of its intention to withdraw from the 382 Pershore-Worcester route from the end of August for commercial reasons, but due to a mix up over dates it was discovered that the replacement service operated by First Midland Red would not start until Monday, September 7.

Following a flurry of emails and phone calls to the county council, and the bus operators by members of the transport group, officers at County Hall hastily contacted First Midland Red to try and rescue the service which includes the villages of Eckington, Defford, Besford, Wadborough, Littleworth and Norton.

With just hours to go before the last service on the route - and a bank holiday intervening - First Midland Red agreed to start the service a week earlier - on Tuesday September 1 - but last Saturday there was still no publicity regarding the future of the service at Worcester or Pershore bus stations.

"The lack of any service at a busy time of year with the schools still on holiday would have been a huge problem for customers who are already faced with cutbacks in the level of service from hourly to two hourly," said Pershore Public Transport Group chairman Julian Palfrey.

"This alarming situation - coupled with the lack of publicity regarding the new services - is hardly the most auspicious start to the changes - especially when our group met First recently to express our concerns - and to offer potential help with publicity for bus service changes."

New timetables for the services from September 7 are available from Pershore Library and Information Centre in Church Street.