THE loss of a bus service linking two college campuses has been described as a "great disappointment".

Senior staff at Abingdon and Witney College have reacted with dismay to news that the Thames Travel X15 service, linking Witney with Abingdon and Wallingford, is to be axed.

The bus carries 3,300 people a month - including many students who depend on it to travel between the college's campuses in Abingdon and Witney.

Members of Oxfordshire County Council were told a Government bus subsidy, vital to the operation of the service, had been withdrawn.

Dr Heather Pike, the college's assistant director of learner services, said: "This news comes as a great disappointment. It had taken several years to negotiate the route, and now it's been taken away.

"We worked hard in partnership with the local community to create this service. It will be as much a loss to them as it is to us - especially those living in Standlake, who used the service to get to Witney."

She said the college would have to make some provision for the students, and would be looking at its options.

She added: "We'll find an alternative. We have to."

College principal Teresa Kelly agreed. She said: "We have worked hard to get this service up and running with the council and have heavily subsidised it. Without the subsidy I don't know where we would get the rest of the money from."

The county council said it was talking to Thames Travel about alternative bus services.

David Robertson, cabinet member for transport, said: "The county council is in talks with the operator about the Wallingford to Abingdon part of the X15 service and also investigating services between Standlake and Witney."

The X15 service is due to come to an end in June.

Concerns about the viability of the X15 route were raised earlier this year, after it emerged that the peak time double decker buses used on the route breached new weight restrictions on the historic New Bridge, between Kingston Bagpuize and Standlake.

The county granted dispensation to Thames Travel to allow the service to continue, because of the number of passengers using it.