PEOPLE who live in six West Devon villages could be left stranded during the holiday period as public buses run to a holiday timetable.

Ricky Paul, who lives in Buckland Monachorum, has relied on public transport since he gave up driving.

He uses the 55 and 56 buses which run a figure-eight from Yelverton around Walkhampton, Dousland, Meavy, Crapstone, Buckland Monachorum and Milton Combe.

'We've got a reasonable service, there's no point running a car as well, but out of ten days over Christmas and the New Year period we will only be getting two days of buses,' he said.

Mr Paul said buses were due to run on Christmas Eve, but not again until December 29 and 30. They will then be off the road over the New Year until January 4.

'I normally leave the village three or four days a week, but I'll be confined to the village for those eight days,' said Mr Paul.

Plymouth Citybus runs the service under contract to Devon County Council which sets the days the buses run.

John Richardson-Dawes, county council public transport co-ordinator, confirmed there would be no services on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, nor New Year's Day.

He said there would be a Sunday service on December 27, 31 and January 2 and 3, with a normal service on December 28, as well as 29 and 30 and from January 4.

But for bus numbers 55 and 56 'Sunday service' means no service at all.

Mr Paul said he had complained to the parish, borough and county councils, but was told there was little that could be done at this late stage.

First Western National will be running a similar service to Plymouth Citybus, except Tuesday, December 28, which is also a bank holiday.

'We are aware there will be a lot of shops open so we will be running a mixture of normal, Sunday and special services — the specials will be somewhere between the Sunday and normal,' said spokeswoman Lesley Pomeroy.

They are also planning a Sunday service on New Year's Eve.

'We are still in talks with Plymouth City Council. The last journey was planned to leave Plymouth at 6.30pm but they might want to provide extra services,' she said.