CAMPAIGNERS have condemned the 'utterly devastating cuts' to rural bus services which they say are on a par with the controversial Beeching Report into the rail network.

A study by the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) found that rural bus services were being wiped out in many areas of England and Wales due to cuts in subsidies.

It comes as councils are reducing expenditure of buses by more than £27m over the coming years. This is a result of funding from Government being slashed by £78m since 2010, according to the report.

Martin Abrams, CBT's public transport campaigner, said: "This new research shows that up and down the country utterly devastating cuts are now being inflicted on our vital bus services on a par with the swingeing and misguided cuts the government and Dr Beeching made to our rail network which decimated services back in the 1960s."

Wiltshire Council is currently in the midst of running a consultation proposing to drastically reduce the services of more than 100 routes across the county.

This includes reducing services to two-three journeys a day for:

Thamesdown Transport’s number 46 and 48 from Swindon via Aldbourne and Marlborough

•AD Rain’s 52 from Swindon to Cirencester

Stagecoach West’s 80 from Swindon to Marlborough.

They are also proposing to reduce services to one bus every two hours for:

•Coachstyle’s number 31 bus from Swindon to Malmesbury

•Salisbury Red’s X5 from Swindon to Salisbury

•Stagecoach West’s 49 from Swindon to Trowbridge

Evening buses and Sunday and bank holiday buses, subsidised by Wiltshire Council, will also be scrapped completely if the consultation proposal goes ahead.

Wiltshire Council currently spends around £4.3m a year for concessionary bus passes for pensioners. Last year, they spent £5.1m on subsidising bus services and say they will save £804,000 a year by withdrawing services after 7pm and on Sundays and bank holidays.

Philip Whitehead, Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for transport said: “We know how important bus services are for rural communities however we are under severe pressure to reduce the amount of budget that we spend on subsidising public transport.

“We are committed to minimising any impact changes might have, especially on vulnerable people including those who are elderly, disabled and young.”

The consultation can be found at wiltshire.gov.uk/subsidised-bus-services-consultation, paper copies can be picked up in council offices, libraries, on buses or people can call 0300 456 0100 to have one posted to them. It runs until April 4.