POLITICIANS in the Five Valleys have rallied round to back the SNJ's Save Our Buses Campaign.

We launched the campaign last week to save the vital daily 22b between Chalford Vale and Cirencester its was cut to a weekly service.

Stroud's Labour MP David Drew was quick to give it his backing, but added that people needed to use the buses to show how necessary they are.

"I'm very much supporting the campaign and I wish they would look a bit more carefully into the implications of scraping these routes.

"We need to get more buses on the roads, particularly in rural villages."

Stroud District Council leader and Gloucestershire County Councillor for Chalford, Chas Fellows, said people-power can work.

"I think any effort to try and save our buses - particularly in the rural areas where public transport is poor - is very good indeed," he said.

Chairman of Chalford Parish Council Mike Doyle-Davidson said the council fully supported the campaign.

"We all feel very strongly about it because it's now almost a non-existent service," he said.

"There are a number of people who rely on the buses to get around and everyone I have spoken to thinks public transport here is rubbish.

"So this campaign - bringing the issue into the public domain - can only be a good thing."

Graham Stanley, from Paganhill, who runs the Gloucestershire Car Share Scheme - a project encouraging people to share car journeys in order to reduce congestion and transport problems - called us to add his support.

He spoke of his dismay at public transport in the Five Valleys.

But he is hoping his scheme could help to alleviate some of the problems.

He said: "Maybe we can fill in some of the gaps - I think it's dreadful what is happening with the buses but you've got to look for positive ways to solve the problems."