CHRISTCHURCH residents are being urged to use new circular bus routes around the town - or lose them.

Numerous people have complained about changes to the bus services implemented by Wilts & Dorset on May 25 and the council is to receive a petition at its next meeting on Tuesday.

More than 50 people from the Highcliffe area have so far signed the petition to the borough council and to Dorset's traffic commissioner, objecting to the cuts.

It says: "These cuts will prevent many thousands of residents including pensioners and the disabled from having reasonable access to shops, hospitals, surgeries and libraries."

As part of its changes the company has set up a circular route C1/C2 taking in Jumpers, St Catherine's Hill, Christchurch Hospital, Bargates, High Street, Purewell, Stanpit, Mudeford, Bure Road, Lymington Road, Sainsbury's, Hinton Wood Avenue and Woodhayes Avenue before returning to Christchurch via Langley Road, Smugglers Lane North, Moonraker's Way, Carisbrooke Way and Sainsbury's.

There are three buses Monday to Friday leaving River Way at 9.39am, 11.09am and 12.39pm. They return from Woodhayes Avenue at 10.28am, 11.58am and 1.28pm.

Borough council leader Cllr Alan Griffiths said the council and residents have been concerned about the changes in bus routes between Lymington and Bournemouth.

"We have been lobbying the bus companies to try to find a solution to the problem and are grateful to Wilts & Dorset for putting on the C1/C2 service which at least provides some sort of service to parts of the borough not otherwise served," he said.

"However, it is important that this service is used, as Wilts & Dorset will be reassessing the viability of the route in October.

"We would ask residents living on this route to make full use of it to help us persuade the bus company to continue the service in the future."