THE axe has fallen on dozens of bus services across Hampshire in a move that could leave many passengers stranded, especially in the evenings and at weekends.

Hampshire County Council chiefs confirmed the news yesterday, though tried to alleviate concerns by offering a possible last minute reprieve for some services.

The move is an attempt to slash £500,000 from the council's current £6m bus subsidy budget, which the authority says needs to be done to finance their adult service costs.

However responding to calls that the cuts would leave some residents without public transport links, the head of the county council's environment department, Cllr Mel Kendal, did ask for further reports on some routes saying he may reverse his decision on them.

These included the Sunday Stagecoach 69 route between Winchester and Fareham, but the equivalent service in the week will no longer run after 7.40pm.

Other Sunday routes will be reduced, including the Stagecoach services between Stanmore, Harestock and Winchester, which will stop after 6.15pm.

Among the weekday buses to lose their subsidy are the Stagecoach services between Winchester and Abbot's Barton and from Winchester to Cheriton.

In Eastleigh, there will be a reduction in the frequency of services on the Bluestar 2 route between the town and Southampton on Sundays and the Red Rocket C bus between Eastleigh and Hiltingbury will not run after 7.15pm during the week.

Meanwhile some services from Southampton to Hamble, and several services in the New Forest particularly between Lyndhurst and Lymington, will also be withdrawn.

The bus operators have now been given 56 days' notice of the funding withdrawal, though Cllr Kendal said it was still possible that some of the routes where subsidy had been withdrawn could remain operating commercially or with help from district councils.

He said: "Today's decision is not about cutting bus services, it's about reducing bus subsidies. There are other ways in which these bus services could be maintained."

Cllr Kendal said only 1.5 per cent of all journeys would be affected and that access to work, education and training, health and food shopping had been prioritised.

However politicians in Eastleigh and Winchester - two of the worst affected districts - have slammed the cuts.

Deputy leader of Winchester City Council, Cllr George Hollingbery, said: "It's a great shame that the county council is looking at making these cuts which will, as is often the case, hit rural communities the hardest."

Lib-Dem Eastleigh MP, Chris Huhne, said: "This is bound to hit some of the routes relied upon by pensioners and young people without cars who need to get about the area."

For a full list of cuts click here