Fears that elderly and vulnerable residents will be cut off from getting to hospital have been raised after the council has cut a key bus service in East and West Tilbury.

The council claims it had to cut either the 11 route or the 374 route due to a reduction in government funding for the coming year.

Councillor John Purkiss lashed out at the 'choice', labelling it 'disgusting'.

He said: "People in East Tilbury need to go to either Basildon or Orsett Hospital and now they will be able to get to neither."

"I think it's absolutely disgusting for the council to make a choice between two areas like that - putting the needs of one set of residents - in Ockendon - over the needs of the residents in Tilbury. How can you make a choice like that?"

He added: "We have fought for years to try to keep that service going but now it seems the decision has been made."

"A choice like that is simply ridiculous."

Transport portfolio holder Cllr Oliver Gerrish says: “Every area of council spending is having to make reductions - the bus subsidy is no exception."

“My preference, obviously, would be to keep all three subsidised bus services operating and we have been working very hard to find other funding streams to do that. So much so, that we have secured a total of £50,000 from other budgets which will allow us to keep the 265 route running.”

But he added: “We have come down to a choice between the 11 and the 374. It’s not a choice I want to make and it’s not a choice the council wants to make, but sadly we have to make tough choices when faced with government cuts of this scale."

“We have spent a long time agonising about this – which community has to go without? In the end the number 11 serves areas that have greater health needs - Belhus, Chadwell, Ockendon, Aveley and Stifford Clays, which rank at or near the worst level in Thurrock for the health indicator of deprivation – and it will be retained.

“This bus links these communities with both Orsett and Basildon Hospitals as well as many doctors’ surgeries – a vital link for people with health needs.”

He said: “These communities also rank among the worst for income and employment – meaning that residents in these areas are least likely to be able to deal with the loss of their bus service.”

Cllr Gerrish also had some good news for bus users, he said: “There will also be a new service number 12, specially funded from Section 106 planning money, running from Aveley to Ockendon station via the Derwent Parade shopping area.

“Despite the cuts, we have managed to find a way to keep two out of three services running and start a new one. Whether we’ll be able to do the same next year is a different question.”