VILLAGERS who rely on a bus route from Ruscombe to Stroud are fed up with lousy service.

The Ebley Coaches 230 service runs three times daily and includes stops in Ebley and Randwick.

But in recent weeks buses have frequently arrived late or failed to turn up at all, say frustrated customers.

One regular user is 86-year-old great-grandmother Joyce Martin, of Westrip.

The number 230 is the only bus available to her.

"The nearest would be Cashes Green which is a mile away and I can't walk there," she said.

"We don't like to blame the driver but if he doesn't come what can we do?" "If they are a bit late they take short-cuts."

Randwick pensioner Connie Lambert, who is in her 70s, has been let down on several occasions since November.

"It is vital that it turns up if you have an doctor's appointment as we arrange them to fit in with the bus times," she said.

Earlier this month another Randwick resident - Jean Beavis, 72 - waited for 40 minutes in Stroud for a bus that never turned up In the end she gave up and was forced to pay £7 for a taxi.

"It was meant to come at 5.40pm and I waited until 6.20pm but it didn't come," she said.

"I rang the company but they just said 'oh, didn't it?'

"They didn't seem to care."

Ebley Coaches is looking into the problems.

A spokesman said: "We are looking at the problem and are trying to resolve it."

"Occasionally it is down to human error but more often it is bad weather or an obstruction on the route like a lorry delivering.

"For example, The Lane which runs from Randwick to Ruscombe is very narrow and if people block it there is no way through."