COMMUNITY leaders on a Southamp-ton estate are holding a public meeting next week to discuss a spate of youth vandalism that has led to a bus company cutting its services.

As reported in the Daily Echo, Solent Blue Line cut two of its services through the Thornhill Estate after yobs threw glass bottles and stones at their vehicles seven times during the last ten-days.

Although the attacks have so far not injured anyone, the company says the incidents have cost it in excess of £2,000 in damage and they fear sooner or later someone will be injured if the violence continues.

The routes suspended are the Bluestar numbers 18 and 19 services, which now stop at Tatwin Crescent before they reach Burgoyne Road where the incidents have happened.

However, without the buses operating, it means scores of public transport users across the estate have now been left with no way of catching a bus into Southampton city centre.

Now the local community is to meet to discuss the problems being caused by the youths, alongside the police, neighbourhood wardens, community support officers, youth service workers, local councillors and representatives of Solent Blue Line.

A spokeswoman for Thornhill Plus You, said: "Obviously there's quite a lot of residents who have been left upset and would like to know more about the incidents and what's been happening.

"We are hoping that we can resolve this issue at the meeting and get the buses back up and running as soon as possible.

"We would also like to find out why the bus company decided to stop the buses without talking to us and the local community about it. We want to give the people of Thornhill a chance to have their voices heard, as it is them who are suffering because of the lack of bus services."

She said an invite would now be going out to almost everyone living on the estate to take part in the meeting, and said she hoped those attending would make constructive comments that would help the situation.

The meeting is taking place at St Christopher's Church on Pepys Avenue at 7pm on Thursday, September 20.