TOWN councillors in Droitwich have hit out at cuts to bus services in the town, which bus chiefs say were necessary to improve overall services.

First Midland has reduced the frequency of its number 22 and 22A services from the town to Worcester to just four journeys per day.

It comes just months after the company cut the services' routes so that they no longer called at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Residents will now have to wait for one of the four services or use the 144 service, which runs regularly between Birmingham and Worcester.

But town councillors say this is not good enough.

"It was bad enough before, but now it is even worse," said Councillor John Cook.

"Pensioners pay £12.50 a year for the concessionary bus pass and this includes use of the number 22 and 22A, but now they have been cut. It is absolutely unacceptable."

The services ran from Droitwich bus station to Worcester via Chawson, Claines and Fernhill Heath.

Coun Cook said people would now have to walk to the A38 to catch the 144 service, which was dangerous, especially for the elderly.

"If we didn't have that, I don't know what we'd do. But not only does it affect people in Droitwich, but those in Claines and Fernhill Heath too."

Coun Cook has requested the matter be added to the agenda for the next community and amenities committee meeting on Monday, December 6.

Worcestershire County Councillor for Droitwich, Coun Peter Pin-field, has also been angered by the cuts.

"Once again, Droitwich is losing out," he said.

"We have either got to increase the subsidies or think of another ways of getting people to and from the main centres."

"I woe the day we lost control of the bus system - this new system just is not working."

He says he plans to put forward a strong protest against the cuts.

A number of services in Worcester have also been cut.

First's communication manager Dawid Maciejewski defended the company's decision.

"They are not core services," he said.

"They are not frequent routes, they are services that we have operated to a large extent on the periphery of the network."

He said the reduction was because fewer people were using certain services and it would be better to divert resources to improve more popular routes.