Southill residents are claiming victory in their campaign to save their bus a success after First Bus performed a U-turn on plans to scrap a service to Radipole Village.

More than 1,000 people signed a petition to save their bus service after plans were unveiled to reduce the number of buses into Southill and Radipole.

From January 30 the number five bus through Southill and Radipole will be joined with the number nine bus, through Lanehouse, and the bus will run in a loop to Weymouth town every hour from 7.20am to 5.10pm.

Due to the number of people who got involved, Dorset County Council has invited a spokesman from the group to speak at the next full council meeting on February 17.

Southill resident, Yvonne Hall, was one of the founding members of the petition. She said: “I think we have done quite well with our campaign.

“Had we done nothing we would have got the original timetable and the bus would not have gone to Radipole Village.

“I can’t say I’m pleased but it’s much better that we thought it would be. They have given us an early bus but we have lost the last one home at night.

“We got the bus to Radipole Village and that will really help as there are a lot of elderly people that rely on it.”

Fellow petition organiser, Anne Crabbe, of Radipole, agreed.

She said: “At least the bus will still stop in Radipole Village and by the John Gregory Pub and that’s really helpful for people who live up the hill and in the village.”

She added: “I’m happier with the new timetable than the first one we saw which would have been every two hours.

“We can see it from the bus companies’ point of view as well.

“I think the petition definitely made them think. If we hadn’t have done it they wouldn’t have known how we felt.”

The residents will be holding a meeting on Tuesday, January 25 at 10am at Southill Community Centre. A representative from First Bus will be at the event to go through the bus changes.

To see the new time table visit www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/southwest-/dorset/timetables/new_timetables.php