VILLAGE bus passengers are celebrating after a last-minute replacement was found for an axed evening service.

Residents in Hoddlesden were facing an early curfew when buses were stopped after 6pm. But Blackburn with Darwen Council has negotiated for one of its subsidised services to call at the village every two hours following complaints from the public.

On Monday, Blackburn Transport stopped its 3A service going on to Hoddlesden through Blackburn and Darwen. Hoddlesden residents were left without any public transport each evening until the council stepped in.

They persuaded the management of Darwen Coachlines to alter their hourly service from Darwen town centre to Spring Vale so it would call at Hoddlesden every two hours.

Ward councillor Fred Slater said: "It's not what we wanted with not being as regular, but it's better than nothing.

"The Blackburn Transport bus services at night were not well used and the company was saying they were uneconomical, so they decided to wind down the services. It was a blow, no doubt about that."

Coun Slater said that, even though the service was not well used, many villagers occasionally needed to catch the bus in the evenings, so they should be served.

A spokesperson for Blackburn with Darwen Council said: "We had a number of complaints from members of the public. The council already subsidises a service from Darwen bus station to Spring Vale on an hourly basis.

"It will now call one hour in Spring Vale and then another in Hoddlesden. Now we will wait and see if that satisfies people who might want to use it.

"We need to look further into it over the next few months, but we are doing our best."

Michael Morton, managing director of Blackburn Transport, said: "The service was costing ten times the travel revenue, that's why we made the decision."

The new service will start on Monday July 8. The last bus to Hoddlesden will be at around 10.30pm.