Villagers are battling for a second time to save a bus route they say is essential.

The No95 service that connects Great Corby to the east of Carlisle to the city is earmarked to be axed in September.

The route was lost in 2014 when Cumbria County Council withdrew its bus subsidies, but villagers successfully fought for it to be restored.

The present twice-weekly service on Mondays and Thursdays has run since August 2015.

But operator Reays have said it is not economically viable and they will cancel it from September 1.

The route is a key part of village life, according to parish councillor Nigel Holmes.

He said: "The bus has become a meeting place and something of an institution with a continual buzz of conversation, passengers giving out sweets and before Christmas it was mince pies.

"I think it unlikely that another operator will take it on. A community transport option would depend on volunteer drivers."

Users were handed leaflets about the scrapping of the route on the bus yesterday.

Wigton-based Reays says the 95 and the 39 services from Aspatria through Wigton and on to Carlisle will both be scrapped from September 1.

Kerrie Allison, head of sales and marketing at the company, said: "We are a business at the end of the day and if the 95 route was making money we would continue, but there are not enough passengers every week.

"For the same reasons, we have already reduced the frequency of the No39 service to Tuesdays and Fridays to make it viable but now it is not viable on those days."

Mr Holmes said there are no alternative services within walking distance for villagers from Great Corby or Heads Nook which is also on the route.

He added: "It is permissible for parish councils to offer bus subsidy. As virtually all the other parts of the Council’s area are well served many times a day by buses on the Wetheral/Cumwhinton route or along the A69 this might be an option."

Wetheral Parish Council is due to discuss the planned withdrawal of the service on July 11.