Town councillors and their MP have both condemned planned bus service cuts.

Dover and Deal MP Charlie Elphicke accused Stagecoach of failing to heed passengers' concerns after its consultation.

And in a separate move Dover town councillors also slammed the changes, which affect services throughout the district.

Following a public consultation that began in June the company has confirmed that it will stick to its original proposals.

But the Dover and Deal MP says this could lead to some villages losing their only regular service.

Mr Elphicke said: “I feared Stagecoach’s consultation would be meaningless, given how ludicrously short it was. Sadly that has been proved correct.

“I urge everyone to keep up the pressure on Stagecoach and make their voice heard. Buses are vital for so many people. Residents deserve a decent service.”

Mr Elphicke had met the company’s area managing director Philip Norwell on June 30 to discuss the problem.

He has written again to Stagecoach urging the firm to listen to the concerns raised by many residents."

In a separate move Cllr Keith Sansum told a town council meeting: “Stagecoach needs to know Dover Town Council does not support this and we represent the people of Dover."

Cllr John Ward said: “Stagecoach have not considered the geography of Dover, the hilly terrain and the fact that there are a lot of elderly people. “

Cllr Sue Jones said: “We need to be a little more proactive.

"This council is on the joint transportation board but does not have a vote.”

The changes to the routes and timetables begin in September but there will also be replacement services.

In general poorly used Dover town routes will be withdrawn and there will be a reduction in frequency on most Dover local routes on Saturday afternoons.

Stagecoach says that its plans reflect detailed analysis of passenger usage and journey patterns and takes into consideration increasing traffic congestion.

It plans follow the noting of under-used routes and looks at new journey opportunities.

The public consultation, which began on June 13, was stretched from two to three weeks.

For details of which services are affected in your part of Dover district, and further comment by Stagecoach, see next Wednesday's Dover Mercury.