CAMPAIGNERS have vowed to do everything in their power to save the threatened 'Little Green Bus' which provides a vital link between Pendle and Burnley General Hospital.

More than 1,000 people have so far supported two petitions fighting the withdrawal of the subsidised 95 service, also the only route serving Colne's North and South Valley areas and the Bunkers Hill district.

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The service, which also serves Boundary Mill and the Marsden Park area of Nelson before terminating in Burnley town centre, is one of several across East Lancashire which the county council is proposing to withdraw as it tries to save £262million over the next three years.

Community leaders said it would be a 'scandal' if the route, which offers many residents a lifeline, was lost all-together.

Cllr Tony Greaves, the deputy leader of Pendle Council, said: "I was closely involved when these town services were started up 30 years ago and it's vital we now fight to keep them.

"Councillors in Colne have secured some funds from the planning permission for the new Boundary Mill garden centre to help pay for these buses and it would be criminal to just throw this money away now."

Mark Hartley, a Liberal Democrat campaigner in Vivary Bridge, said: "This petition is our contribution to the campaign to keep this service going.

"It's vital for a lot of people, including older people living on the estates.

"There could be savings in the way the service is provided but to take it away would be a scandal."

Cllr Joe Cooney, former borough council leader and Vivary Bridge ward member, said: "The 95 service is crucial as it enables many of our elderly residents to get into town to do their shopping.

"In 2013 the Colne area committee worked closely with Lancashire County Council officers to save the service and streamline the route.

"This latest announcement is a kick in the teeth to all who worked so hard to save the service."

Cllr Graham Waugh, chairman of the Colne area committee, said: "At the request of residents we recently invested thousands of pounds in a new bus shelter on the route.

"If this service is cancelled the shelter will no longer be on a bus route and will no doubt end up costing Pendle Council money to remove it."

Regular bus users supporting the campaign said the end of the service would leave many people 'lost'.

Marie Shuck said: "I don't want to lose this service as I would struggle to get to work."

Andrew Jaques said: "The routes that are going to be lost are all ones that serve all the side streets.

"Without these services a huge amount of people, young and old, will be lost."

Holmeswood Coaches, which operates the service, is withdrawing from a number of county council subsidised bus contracts, which provide work for up to 40 drivers.

Colin Aspinall, a company director, said: "We have been provided with letters of termination for our subsidised bus contracts and we are exploring a number of options.

"The majority of these services have been provided by the county council because of social need and because they are aware that they cannot be operated commercially."

County Cllr John Fillis, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "The county council's financial situation is very stark and we face using the bulk of our reserves just to balance the budget over the next two years.

"By 2017/18, we will only just have enough money to pay for our statutory services.

"We fully recognise the impact that this will have on people who rely on frontline services such as subsidised bus services.

"However, the government has made clear that it will make further substantial cuts to council budgets over the coming years.

"This will hit low-income families, young people in education and employment along with the elderly just going about their daily lives to the doctors or shops. We are in an impossible situation with our funding being cut to support bus services that local people desperately need."

The Lib Dem petition can be found at tinyurl.com/savethe95bus and the town's Tories have a separate petition, which is also set to be presented to the county council.