THIS week our half-hourly 305 Blackmoorfoot bus has been replaced by an hourly curtailed service. This means that many people living up the Clough have little or no bus. What bus they do have does not go into Milnsbridge, which will affect many local people, including residents of Cowlersley Lane who use the bus to go into Milnsbridge.

Milnsbridge is the place where many need to go to visit the bank, the post office (we lost the one at Cowlersley traffic lights a few years ago), the optician, the doctor and, not least, the local supermarket. And no bus means that anyone shopping at Somerfields has the long hill of Morley Lane to climb, carrying heavy bags. The former bus into Milnsbridge was an amenity for those wanting to have connections to Paddock and Golcar.

We have canvassed in our local area and almost 250 people have signed the petition to have the 305 back; so please can we have our bus back?

Rev Laurence H Wood (retired)

Linthwaite