NEIGHBOURS have joined forces to fight for a better bus service.

People living in the Tollesby Road area of Acklam, Middlesbrough, want bus company Stagecoach to reintroduce a bus route into the town.

The company withdrew the service two years ago, saying it was not profitable enough, however a reduced service is still running during the week.

But residents say their lives have been made difficult without the extra route and it has led to some pensioners only rarely leaving their homes.

Mother-of-two Carol Mallam, an Inland Revenue officer, said: "The last bus through the week is at 5.30pm and there is nothing at all on a Sunday. That is personally bad for me because it means I can't do overtime but it's even worse for some of our pensioners and young mothers trying to take their children somewhere.

"Many of us met at the bus stop and it soon became obvious just how much this decision to take buses away from us has badly affected so many people. Some pensioners have found it hard to get to doctor's appointments for example. It's very frustrating when you know it would take very little for a bus to be diverted from the Acklam Road route. Not only that, but Middlesbrough Council has offered to subsidise the route, but they just don't want to know."

Councillor for the area Shamal Biswas said Stagecoach should be shamed into reintroducing the extra buses.

He said: "This has caused so much trouble for people and it's just not on. Providing buses is a service not just a business."

No one from Stagecoach could be contacted for comment yesterday. However, the company does still provide a six-day bus service to Tollesby Road.