Campaigners who battled to get a bus service to run on a vital route have reacted angrily after being told it was being axed.

Bradford bus company First has announced the 642 service which runs between Idle and Otley will stop on Friday (July 30) because it is not being used enough.

But today Councillor Ann Ozolins (Lib Dem, Idle) said passengers would now have to change buses at Shipley if they wanted to travel to Otley. Coun Ozolins said the service was popular with older people and young mothers who wanted a day out.

And she branded the service's running times, on a Friday between 10am and 2pm, as "pathetic" and said the company had "set the service up to fail".

The service was re-introduced a year ago after a campaign by residents after it had been pulled because it was uneconomical.

It was only supposed to run on a three month trial basis but First decided to extend the service after calls from campaigners.

Coun Ozolins said: "It is a sad day for the people of Idle who want to go to Otley but we have to thank First for extending the trial which was originally for only three months."

Now residents in Idle are signing a petition to try to save the service.

Great grandmother Dorothy Wiseman clocked up thousands of miles during her campaign to get the bus service continued last August. The three-month trial was agreed after Mrs Wiseman, 70, of Runneymede Court, Idle, collected a 700-name petition asking for buses to run between the two points.

Khadim Hussain, operations director for First Bradford, which runs the service, said: "The 642 service has been performing poorly. Following a representation from Councillor Ozolins and Metro the service was extended by a further period.

"However the passenger numbers did not improve significantly over the period to continue operation of this service on a commercial basis.

"It is with regret that we had to take this course of action."