A ONE-man business offering cut-price rail travel has been shut down despite protests from its supporters.

South West Trains decided not to renew its contract with the Bournemouth Rail Travel Association, which has built up a membership of around 20,000.

Anthony Stone, who set up the business as a hobby in 1972, booked blocks of seats on off-peak trains and sold them on.

Tickets to London from Poole or Bournemouth cost as little as £11.50, with first class seats costing £15 instead of more than £100.

But South West Trains (SWT) pulled the plug on the business because it was introducing its own cut-price tickets.

Mr Stone told members: "Since SWT is the monopoly provider of rail services for journeys to London from our catchment area, we have no means of trading if they decide to withdraw from previous contractual arrangements.

"Strenuous efforts have been made to attempt to persuade SWT to review their decision, but despite vociferous public pressure I have concluded that there is no chance of rescuing our unique enterprise."

Mr Stone, who spent 12 hours a day running the business, said 2003 had been a record year for ticket sales and revenue to SWT.

He added: "I have been overwhelmed both by the sheer volume of supportive messages received since closure was first mooted, and by the extremely generous and kind comments made about the way in which our business has been conducted during more than three decades."

Several people who were present at the association's launch in 1972 turned out for the last day of operation.