TRANSPORT bosses were given a fierce taste of community spirit last night when more than 100 Southampton residents filled a public meeting to vent their anger at losing bus services to the Thornhill area of the city.

Isolated pensioners, frustrated mums and disabled neighbours desperate for transport links to local amenities, joined forces to question Solent Blueline's operations manager, Alex Hornby, on why they had lost the number 19 bus which serves residents in the northern area of the estate.

Mr Hornby told residents and local councillors that the decision was made to provide a more efficient service on the company's more popular number 18 bus route, that connects Thornhill to the city centre by a faster journey along Bursledon Road.

But frustrated residents, who had already handed the company a 1,100-signature petition against the cuts, said it leaves them without any transport to vital amenities such as doctors surgeries, walk-in health centres and schools, which were popular stops along the 19 bus route which concentrated on neighbourhoods around Thornhill Park Road.

Councillor Simon Letts said the transport bosses' decision was made for profit and was hitting one of the most vulnerable areas of the city.

"More elderly people live in Thornhill then any other area," he said.

"Around 35 per cent of residents also have no access to private vehicles and rely on busses so this is leaving them isolated."

The meeting held last night in St Christopher's Hall and organised by resident members of community regeneration project Thornhill Plus You, heard how the council was willing to partly fund a scheme similar to the Bitterne Hopper to provide an extra off-peak service.

Mr Hornby reassured the residents that the overwhelming "strength of feeling" they had shown at the meeting wouldn't go unnoticed and added that buses from Thornhill had some of the lowest fares in the city.