CUTS to the number 70 bus service between Midhurst and Haslemere on Sundays and bank holidays are set to be introduced at the end of May.

Stagecoach is withdrawing the buses between Midhurst and Haslemere and No. 92 services between Midhurst and Petersfield on Sundays and bank holidays when government grant funding finishes at the end of next month.

It also means people from Midhurst without cars cannot reach railway stations at Haslemere or Petersfield on Sundays. The town council is lobbying West Sussex County Council to subsidise the threatened bus services.

Philippa McCullough, representing Midhurst Tourism Partnership said: “We are just coming into the busiest time of year for tourists, so the timing couldn’t be worse.

“As we are at the heart of the South Downs National Park we support the park’s position on environmentally sustainable tourism and see this move as detrimental for Midhurst and the surrounding area.”

County councillor Gordon McAra said: “Midhurst and the local villages seem to be taking a disproportional hit on the withdrawal of government grants.

“Just like the lack of reliable broadband and no permanent police presence, rural areas continue to suffer despite paying the same taxes as everyone else. There is an inherent unfairness in the way resources are allocated.”