A BUS company has responded back to claims from angered residents who feel 'left out' due to new service changes.

Stagecoach has 'backed' their new service changes in Carlisle and believes that they are 'necessary' to meet the demands of residents; however, many believe that this is not the case.

Residents such as 82-year-old William Armstrong of Morton and many others are angry with new changes to recently revised bus services - including the 61 and 61A.

"We feel like that we are forgotten about," he said.

"I am 82-year-old, and instead of having a quick way home and it now takes ages. We are left stranded.

"Instead of using the usual bus stop, we have to walk down the hill to another stop, and even that bus takes a quarter of an hour to get home.

"It all changed about three weeks ago, and it is disgusting that after we voiced our concerns, they did nothing.

"We have complained many times but feel like we have got nowhere."

Stagecoach announced in July that specific bus routes, including service 61/61a, would be changing.

In Morton Park, the buses will now use Levens Drive instead of Newlaithe's Avenue buses, and they will run every 10 minutes to town during the day.

Additionally, Morton West will no longer be served by service 61/61A and a new service 63, which will use Crosshill Drive and Queensway.

Customers on Orton Road can walk to Queensway or Crosshill Drive to catch the bus.

A Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire spokesperson said: "We are sorry to hear of the challenges being faced by local residents.

"The new network reflects the new travel patterns we have seen coming out of the pandemic and current levels of passenger demand.

"It is also designed to ensure there is a sustainable network for the long-term against a backdrop of rising costs and labour challenges across the UK economy.

"We remain absolutely committed to working with our local authority partners, as well as other stakeholders, to deliver the best bus networks we can for local communities."

It is also understood that concerned residents have raised a petition.