VILLAGERS fear the axing of a late-night bus service will further isolate their rural community.

Council cuts have put a halt to the 11.20pm Arriva link between Durham City and the east Durham village of Thornley.

Last night, Thornley councillor Brian Wilson hit out over the difficulties facing residents because of inadequate public services.

"Throughout the country, people are being urged to help the environment by leaving their cars behind," said the Easington District Council representative. "But if you live in Thornley, you now have no choice.''

Coun Wilson himself fell foul of the stopping of the service from Durham when he attended a performance at the city's Gala Theatre.

"When I went to get the bus, I found the last service had been rescheduled to 9.20pm, and I had to pay £17 for a taxi home,'' he said.

Arriva had operated the 11.20pm bus from Durham to Thornley as well as another late-night service, from Sedgefield, which has also been stopped and re-timed to 8.15pm.

"Thornley is already an isolated village, and many residents rely heavily on public transport for both work and social activities," said Coun Wilson.

"I am pressing for the reintroduction of these vital services.''

Arriva confirmed it had axed the two late-night buses, following the withdrawal of subsidies from Durham County Council.

A County Hall spokesman said that each year, the authority was spending £3.2m to subsidise bus services that would otherwise have disappeared, because the operators consider them unprofitable.

He said more and more services ceased to be commercially viable and fell into the subsidy net. And with no spare cash to bail them out, cutbacks had to be made by reducing the least-used services.

John Richardson, the council's corporate director of environment, said it was impossible for the authority to prop up every unprofitable route.

"There comes a point where we really can't justify using council taxpayers' money to subsidise services which are only used by a very few people.''

But offering a glimmer of hope, he revealed: "County councillors are to meet MPs next week to discuss a number of issues surrounding the provision of bus services, which will give local authorities greater powers to stop this sort of problem."