A bus company has pulled the plug on a rural bus service because its says it cannot continue without a subsidy.

But the service cut, which came into force yesterday, is bad news for passengers living in the Wychwoods area of west Oxfordshire.

Robert Moore, a 19-year-old student who lives in Shipton-Under-Wychwood, will no longer be able to catch the X3 service at 7am on its route from Milton-under-Wychwood to Shipton, Witney and Oxford.

From yesterday, the leg of the journey between Milton and Witney was scrapped by operators Stagecoach after the county council refused to put in public subsidy money.

The county says not enough people use that part of the journey.

Mr Moore, who studies computer science at Oxford and Cherwell Valley College, said: "So many people use the service, it's not like it's an empty bus, people are standing up a lot of the way.

"All those people are going to be driving into Oxford now, which is bad for them and bad from an environmental point of view.

"I am totally appalled, getting the bus was so convenient and I paid for a student bus pass. It's going to be an absolute nightmare.

"We do have a train but even if I find a train that gets me in on time I will have to buy another pass. We only had the service for a few years and already they are taking it away."

His mother Julie Moore said: "I was horrified to find out they are scrapping the service. We are just sitting here wondering how he is going to get into college on time.

"There will still be a later bus but it will get him in too late."

Allan Field, county council bus services manager, said: "Stagecoach have run the journey up until now without a subsidy. They have declined to carry on doing that.

"We subsidise the rest of the bus service. The bit between Witney and Oxford will still run, that will continue without subsidy.

"But there were just too few people using the service between Milton and Shipton to Witney. We felt it didn't justify the subsidy."

Chris Childs, of Stagecoach, said: "Without a subsidy from the council this route cannot run. It is not a commercial route, not enough people use it."