A SPRIGHTLY 89-year-old woman was left in the lurch at Winchester bus station because the service she was trying to catch didn't exist - even though it is listed in a new timetable booklet produced by Hampshire County Council.

On Thursday 29 July after a few hours in Winchester Mrs Peg Beesley from Wherwell tried to catch the 2.35pm service 99 to Andover, which is listed in the timetable that came into force on 25 July.

The timetable had been distributed widely by the council in the rural areas around Andover.

"They didn't know anything about the bus at Winchester so I had to get a taxi which cost me £17.70," said Mrs Beesley.

"Some older people wouldn't have had a £20 note on them but I had been to the bank and happened to have the money.

"What about people who may have been trying to catch the bus at Stockbridge?

"When you get older you are at the mercy of public transport."

An angry Mrs Beesley contacted the Hampshire County Council passenger transport officer Jane Hatt who agreed to refund the £17.70 taxi fare.

"The man driving the taxi was very helpful and agreed to give me a receipt," added Peg.

Operations manager at Andover Bus Station, Jim Mortimore, said: "We have finally got to the bottom of this bizarre story.

"This unfortunate lady was the victim of an inaccuracy in the timetable."

Now steps have been taken to remedy the mistake by putting up a notice at the bus station in Winchester pointing out the error in the timetable - which wrongly listed the bus as being operated by Stagecoach instead of Wilts and Dorset and gave the service the wrong head code.

"She was looking for the 99 on a different coloured vehicle and had no chance of catching the bus," added Mr Mortimore.

"Hampshire County Council will have to put out a correction slip or this will happen on a regular basis."

Overall he said the company is very appreciative of the efforts Hampshire County Council makes to encourage bus use by publishing timetables.