VILLAGERS in North Craven fear an important bus service relied upon by a wide age range of people could be withdrawn.

Parish councils have been notified of a consultation over the future of the 581 bus operated by Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire and subsidised by North Yorkshire County Council.

The buses run several times a day during the week and on Saturdays from Ingleton to Horton-in-Ribblesdale via Clapham, Austwick, Giggleswick and Settle, and return.

Clapham resident Sue Stark said she relied on the service to get home from work in Ingleton.

"I use other public transport to get to work, but rely on the Kirkby Lonsdale bus service to get home because my husband uses our car for his work," said Mrs Stark.

"If the service is taken off it will create a lot of problems for a lot of people. The service is not heavily used, apart from Tuesdays when a lot use it to go to the market in Settle, but schoolchildren use it, as well as a disabled friend of mine who went to live in Austwick on the strength of the bus service. It is her only means of transport.

"Tourists and walkers also use it to go to Ingleborough. It will be a huge loss if it goes," she added.

Clapham Parish Council clerk Paul Pearce said members would be objecting to the demise of the 581 buses.

"The service is an important one, not only for schoolchildren and walkers, but for the elderly people and others in the district who do not have any other form of transport. They use it for things like shopping as well as doctor's appointments and have no other means of getting to them. It is a rural area and it isn't as simple as calling a taxi," said Mr Pearce.

He added that there was other public transport locally, such as the services operated by Age Concern and Bentham Community Transport, but the 581 was the one residents classed as their regular service.

Ian Smith, chairman of Austwick Parish Council, said it too would be objecting.

"Our aim is to protect the interests of our parishioners and this includes maintaining an adequate transport service so we will respond accordingly," he said.

Mary Welch, public transport manager with the county council, said the authority was reviewing a number of contracted bus services.

In a letter sent out to parish councils within the affected area she said: "The council spends over £4 million each year to support the provision of bus services which it considers to be socially necessary.

"In recent years we have increased our budget in order to reflect increased costs in the transport industry and the need to introduce modern, accessible vehicles onto key routes.

"The increased cost of providing services means that it is possible that the current network of services cannot be retained with the funds that are available."

A report on the review is due to be presented to members of the county council's executive in February.