A petition has been launched to try to save a bus service which connects Coalville and Hinckley

Representatives from the county's Liberal Democrats have started the petition to keep the 159 Roberts bus service, describing the route as 'crucial'.

Roberts Coaches announced last month it intended to halt the service in February after Leicestershire County Council said it could no longer afford to subsidise it.

According to the authority, the service cost £162,260 a year to run and not enough people were using it to justify the spending in today's tough economic environment.

Councillor Michael Mullaney, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition on the county council, is calling on residents who use the service to sign the petition and raise their concerns.

According to the councillors, "several hundreds of people" have already signed the petition and he expects more will follow suit over the next coming weeks.

He said: "The 159 bus is a crucial service for the people who use it to go to work, education, shopping and to visit friends and family. As well as being the only direct route between Hinckley and Coalville, two of the biggest towns in Leicestershire, and it is the only bus service for villages like Cadeby and Stapleton.

"It'll be a huge loss if the service is scrapped and we hope people will support the petition which may see Roberts and the council reach an agreement to keep the service running.

"People really rely on this service and it's sad to see. We have previously raised concerns about the potential loss of the 159 service and we will continue to lobby the Tory county council about this."

In response to the news that the bus service will be scrapped, Councillor Ozzy O'Shea told LeicestershireLive last month that the council would be putting in measures to ensure the villages remained connected and that could not subsidise all commercial services when they require support in excess of £160,000 a year.

He said: "Unfortunately patronage on this service wasn't sufficient to make it financially viable for the operator.

"Most villages on the route will have access to other bus services but from February, we will be taking action to support residents who are not close to an alternative service and putting a flexible, bookable, demand responsive transport service in place to make sure people can make important journeys.

"We've worked with our MPs to set out the tough choices ahead and how losing out on Government cash to bolster our bus network has hampered efforts to support the industry.

"This has secured a meeting with the Chancellor in the New Year where we'll be raising the importance of a better, more sustainable funding deal from Government for buses and other vital services."

Roberts Coaches announced the news in a statement that was issued last month.

It said: "It is with regret that we must inform you that after Saturday, February 25, the 159 bus service between Hinckley and Coalville will no longer be in service. We have been notified by Leicestershire County Council that they are withdrawing the financial subsidy that supports this service."