Residents from North Deal took part in a protest on Tuesday against proposed cuts to bus services.

Stagecoach is set to reduce its 15 and 15A services from Dover to Sandown if Kent County Council goes ahead with a proposal to withdraw its subsidy of the services, which costs £22,000 a year.

The changes would axe the 17.47 and 18.56 services from Deal to Sandown and the 17.54 and 19.03 Sandown to Deal.

Deal Town Cllr Ben Bano took part in Tuesday’s protest at one of the route bus stops at the junction of College Road and Cannon Street.

He said: “Tuesday’s protest was a cross-party community protest because we feel that the proposed cuts will have a direct effect not only on local residents but also on people who work in Deal and Dover and who rely on the bus to return home from work.

“These proposed cuts are out for consultation, which finishes in mid-May, and they could come into force in June.”

If the cuts go ahead, the 14A service from Canterbury to Deal via Sandwich will see the existing 22.00 service from Canterbury switched to 22.35 while the 22.50 will no longer run.

Three Regent coaches services are under threat. They are the 541 Elvington to Dover via Ripple and Deal; the 542 Walmer to Sandwich via Elvington and Aylesham; and the 544 Walmer to Canterbury via Elvington and Wingham. All three operate from Monday to Saturday, but that would be reduced to Tuesday-Thursday only.