Full buses leave Shropshire Hills visitors stranded

Walkers are being left stranded in the Shropshire Hills because shuttle buses are full, a councillor has claimed.

Bishop's Castle councillor Peter Phillips said he had to walk eight miles to get home after being unable to get on two buses along with at least six other people left waiting on Bank Holiday Monday.

He wants measures put in place on the service, run by Shropshire Hills AONB and Shropshire Council, to make sure people are not left stranded in the future.

Clare Fildes, for Shropshire Hills AONB, said the shuttles were very expensive to run and concern was growing about funding .

She said: "The shuttles are very expensive to run because you can only get 16 people on them.

"We can't run bigger buses because of the Burway and the safety issues of moving larger buses about."

She said staff were conscious there could be a problem with people getting stranded.

"In terms of the safety side of it, the last bus of the day, if they can't get people on, they have a list of taxi firms that can be called to get them back to Church Stretton and we can reimburse them," she added.

"There is also the National Trust wardens who can be called if there is a particular problem."