VILLAGES around Bicester will end up "isolated from the town" if further bus cuts go ahead, residents have warned.

In the past week, three bus companies have announced they will stop running six Bicester services next month because subsidies are being cut by Oxfordshire County Council.

Thames Travel announced on Friday it will close its 24 service from Bicester town centre to Launton; the 25 Bicester-Bletchingdon-Kidlington-Oxford, and the T94 Oxford-Ambrosden-Bicester service from Wednesday, July 23.

Heyfordian will close its 37 Bicester-to-Finmere service and its 81A Bicester-to-Somerton service on July 20, although an amended 81 service will visit Bucknell Ardley, Fritwell and Souldern on Fridays, while Stagecoach will stop running its number 8 from Bicester to Silverstone, also next month.

Thames Travel said it would continue to run its 22 and 23 between Bicester town centre and Bure Par on a commercial basis as before, but only to test whether the route is viable.

All bus users have been warned they will have to "use it or lose it".

Locals are now calling on community groups and business to help where they can with campaigns or sponsorship to keep support the remaining services.

Caversfield resident Lynda Coleman said: "I do understand if not enough people are using them, I just think it is really sad.

"From Caversfield it is a half an hour walk into Bicester – there are children that go to the community college and many older people that use these services on a regular basis who will be left.

"Speaking to one of the bus drivers, he said they would run until January and in between then they hope to find sponsorship for it to continue.

"We just don't want people to not be aware then, when they are gone, start voicing their opinions – it will be too late by then."

Ms Coleman and other residents have also suggested running less-popular services once every hour as opposed to every half and hour to make them cheaper to run.

Elizabeth Everson commented on the "Bicester general chat" Facebook page that a "reduced service would be better than nothing" and Wendi Woo agreed, saying "as a non driver I regularly use that service so anything is better than nothing".

Thames Travel managing director Phil Southall said: "We are really sorry about the impact that these withdrawals will have on the lives of those who rely on the services and would encourage those who are able to use our remaining services to give the bus a try and help us to make the services sustainable for the longer term."

The county council announced in November it would stop paying bus subsidies to 118 routes receiving them due to ongoing cuts to its funding from central Government.

Fringford residents are also concerned about the changes and the parish council, among others, is hoping to campaign to keep the routes.

Parish clerk Jane Olds said: "We are definitely going to be trying to sort out a 'use-it-or-lose-it' campaign.

"Fringford is a big concern as the number 8 is across the border which we feel is likely to mean it wont continue.

"These villages are going to get isolated and on a Tuesday or Thursday in Fringford you will see queues at the bus stops.

"We are hoping to drum up more neighbourly support to keep these services going."