It came as a horrible shock to learn that Shropshire County Council is proposing to withdraw all the bus services from Cleeton St Mary, Oreton, Stottesdon and nearby areas from December.

Other services in south Shropshire face the same threat.

Can anyone who has a car or easy access to one, who lives with all the facilities they need within reasonable reach, imagine what life is like without private transport?

Yes, friends, neighbours and families are enormously helpful and there are the excellent voluntary car scheme drivers, but all these make us dependent on the good will and convenience of other people. A degree of independence is very precious to people like me, a widow without family in the area.

But it isn't just about being independent. How are we who need the buses to collect our pensions, or other benefits or prescriptions from the chemists, or shop for necessities we cannot get in our villages, even where shops do exist?

It is not exaggerating to say that, although we are few in number, to us the buses are lifelines or very close to them, and hardship will be caused if they are withdrawn.

We do realise that the services are not economic, that fares will probably have to go up and services may have to be rationalised and can accept changes as long as they still meet our needs. But we pay council tax at the same rate, band for band, as people in towns who enjoy facilities we don't; our bus services take the place of such things as street lighting, for example.

Can I ask anyone who sympathises with our possible plight, whether or not they themselves are affected, to send a letter, by Saturday, supporting the retention of bus services to Tim Wastling at The Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury SY2 6ND. We shall be very grateful for your help.

Mrs Jennifer Hewitt,

Haygarth,

Cleeton St Mary,

Cleobury Mortimer.