ABOUT 100 pensioners have been left isolated after the bus service stopping close to their mobile home park near Wallingford was re-routed.

Widow Anna Gray, 76, said pensioners at Shillingford Hill Home Park were in despair after the Thames Travel 139 service to Wallingford, Benson and Henley was diverted in July last year.

It no longer stops on Shillingford Hill near the mobile home park where there are about 80 homes, with the majority of residents over 75.

Mum-of-six Mrs Gray, moved to the park in 2010 after her husband, David Saw, died in 2008 aged 64 of prostate cancer.

Mrs Gray said: "People on the park feel completely stranded if they don't have cars.

"They relied on the bus to get to Wallingford to do their shopping but now they have to get taxis and they can't afford £9 each way.

"Those who have got cars have been ferrying other people - 1.7 miles is too far for people to walk into Wallingford.

"One lady tried to go in on her mobility scooter and she came off it and had to go to hospital.

"At the moment I share my car with my son but not everyone is so fortunate."

Mrs Gray said she had appealed repeatedly for Thames Travel to reinstate the 139 to its original route but so far it has not happened.

She added: "New housing is being built in Wallingford and some of the residents on the park are considering moving because they feel they have no choice - they want to be nearer the shops.

"People feel desperate - they walk around the home park to get some exercise - they have nowhere else to go.

"They miss going into Wallingford to have a coffee with their friends."

Independent county councillor Lynda Atkins said she had asked Thames Travel to reinstate the 139's original route but had been told it was not 'economically viable'.

She said she would lobby for the county council's Comet bus service to call in at the park but Mrs Gray said the Comet needed to be booked in advance and was not suitable as a replacement.

Ms Atkins added: "People on the park did have quite a good bus service.

"I will happily work with them to try to make the Comet service work for them."

Phil Southall, managing director, of Thames Travel said: "The primary reason for the change to the route was the withdrawal of county council funding in July 2016, which affected both route 139 and the nearby route 136, which was operated sharing vehicle resources with the 'old' 139 service.

"The revised 139 route is still loss-making, and is able to continue to operate only due to a financial contribution being received from housing developments in the Henley area.

"A requirement of this developer funding was for the journey time between Henley and Wallingford to be made more direct.

"This faster journey time will benefit the vast majority of passengers using the service and so will give the service the best chance of commercial success in the medium to long term.

"Unfortunately, as a result of this the residents of Shillingford Hill are one of the groups who have been most affected by the county council's subsidy withdrawals, and while we regret this impact, there is a limit to what we can do as a commercial company."