COMMUNITY figures have given up hope in trying to resurrect a bus service that was cut by an operator.

Residents had expressed concern in Askam after bus company Stagecoach cut the service which ran between Barrow and Millom.

The service was withdrawn in September.

In between Furness College and Millom, passing through Askam on the way.

Councillors had been working on how to deal with the cut to the route, with fears raised that residents that residents could be cut off or forced to pay for taxi or more unreliable modes of transport.

Askam resident and county councillor Ben Shirley had met representatives from Stagecoach after community efforts to persuade the operator to reconsider cutting the service.

He said there was now no chance of persuading Stagecoach to change its mind.

"People have been concerned about it. People are frustrated to say the least that it's been taken away, " Mr Shirley said.

"Part of my job is to lobby hard to make sure people are not too adversly affected by something like this.

"Now residents are going to be forced to take more unreliable forms of transport such as trains, with routes that are not flexible with different places to stop.

"Or they are going to have to get relatives to take them or pay for taxis, which can be very expensive.

"It's very annoying for people."

Stagecoach said it could no longer keep the number seven route because it was no longer profitable.

A county council spokesman said: “Cumbria County Council has not subsidised bus services since 2014 due to funding cuts as a result of the government’s austerity programme.

"Bus services in Cumbria are now run on a purely commercial basis – where there is demand and where operators can run a sustainable service, they will run."

Askam residents are now served by the community bus company Blueworks.

Services are set to expand from two days a week to three days a week.