SIR — At the end of last year, I and several hundred other people signed a petition to retain the seasonal 300 Exmoor Coastal Link bus between Minehead and Lynmouth, which was under threat from loss of subsidy.

The operator, Quantock, claimed that this would in turn help to retain the unsupported 39 service bus (Minehead to Porlock Weir) by cross-subsidy.

We now have the absurd situation whereby the two daily return trips of the 39, which covered Bossington Green have been removed completely (from May 7).

Meanwhile, users of the subsidised 300 tourist service, predominantly retired bus-pass holders, are, in effect, being doubly subsidised.

Local people are being deprived of a bus service because the transport budget is being spent on tourism. This is not what we signed the petition for!

Barry Hitchcox,

Allerford.