The Silloth to Workington bus service has been axed due to uncertainties over road closures.

The service has been operated by Reays Coaches for 15 years, but because of the intermittent closures of the B5300 coast road, the firm says it is no longer viable. 

Chris Reay, managing director, said since subsidies were removed two years ago, the company has tried to keep the service going.

But he added over the last winter, however, the B5300 has been closed on so many occasions that the service was no longer viable.

He said: "In recent weeks we have gone from 150 passengers a day, which running close to the bone.

"Now we have about 50. Nobody ever tells us if the road is closed so we get a bus to Silloth and then find the road closure signs are up.

It is illegal to use the road if there is a closure sign."

He said the company was further hampered because of the new low floor buses.

He added: "We have had to bring these low floor buses to make them accessible for wheelchair users.

"But it means that we cannot take them over the narrow, windy rural road the way we could with the old buses."

Mr Reay said his was a commercial company and had to be viable 12 months of the year.

He said: "We have run this service for 15 years, the last two without subsidy, but under these conditions we are now longer able to do it."