A row has broken out between council chiefs and a community transport charity over funding, after the group was forced to close down and hundreds of elderly and disabled people were left without vital transport.

North Shropshire Community Transport (NSCT), which ran community buses for elderly or disabled people, announced it was closing the service last month, claiming funding from Shropshire County Council had been cut.

But transport bosses from the council today said statements issued by NSCT were “misleading” and attacked the charity’s decision to close.

Council assistant director for transport and highways Phil Crossland said the council had never been the main funder for the service.

He said when central government funding was cut last April, the council stepped in to provide an extra £23,715 as a one-off payment.

Mr Crossland said: “The council is very disappointed that even after all this support, the company has decided to close down.

“This contrasts with all the other excellent community transport groups supported by the council across Shropshire, which are continuing to provide outstanding community transport, so greatly valued by local people.”

But Mike Skinner, from NSCT, said the main reason the group closed was because it lost out on a contract from the county council to run community transport.