A STOURPORT woman who is registered blind has taken up the cudgels on behalf of other residents who fear they will be left stranded by potential bus service cuts.

Margaret Bond, of Kyle-milne Way, on the Hartlebury Park estate, is dependent on the number 15 bus to get into Kidderminster, via Wilden, twice a week to help look after her 92-year-old mother.

It was announced late last week, however, the hourly service, operated by First, was one of those in line to be axed on February 9 as part of Worcestershire County Council's sweeping review of services.

Axing the number 15 would mean Mrs Bond would be either faced with an awkward walk from her home into Stourport to catch another bus or becoming "imprisoned" in her home.

Mrs Bond, who is totally blind in her left eye and has limited sight in her left, said: "To walk from here into Stourport is very difficult because of crossing the main road.

"There is no crossing, only a couple of refuges in the middle of the road. Taxis are too expensive." She also uses the 15 bus to get into Stourport to do her shopping.

Mrs Bond has started a petition and will be knocking on doors to get signatures.

She has the backing of Councillor June Salter, who already has more than 200 signatures to add to those being collected by Mrs Bond.

Rebecca May, transport planner in Wyre Forest District Council's Planning Health and Environment division, said a lot of pensioners used the number 15 and people who lived in Wilden would be "cut off".

Ken Radbourne, spokesman for the county council's passenger and fleet transport unit, said: "The proposal for withdrawal of this service has come from the operator. We are looking at the impact and how to deal with it."

David Maciejewski, spokes-man for the operator First said: "The demand is so small for this service that it is not viable for us to run it. We are waiting for the county council to decide what it is going to do."