A BUS company has been accused of “putting profits before people” after it refused to improve links to a village.

Community leaders say Middleton Tyas, near Richmond, has been abandoned by Arriva North East.

Timetable changes mean only one Darlington-bound bus passes through the village a day.

The bus stops at about 8.15am, but pensioners can only use their bus passes after 9am.

Richmondshire district councillor Jill McMullon contacted Arriva, asking it to add the village to the X26 and X27 services, which pass through Scotch Corner.

Sixty residents from the village attended a meeting with bus company bosses about the issue.

But after considering the request, Tony Batty, Arriva’s area manager, has now contacted Coun McMullon to say the routes will not be changed.

He said: “I arranged for a timing check to take place for the bus to follow the Barton to Tyas route.

“An additional four minutes would be needed in the schedule to accommodate this diversion.

“It is known from experience in running the service that the X26 does not have sufficient time in the schedule to allow for the inclusion of eight minutes additional running time per round trip.”

He said he then looked to see if changes could be made to the X27 service.

However, he found that service was already about to be changed to take in more of Catterick Garrison following completion of building work at a new sports centre.

He said: “Given the extremely low numbers travelling from Middleton Tyas and for the reasons given above, I am sorry I am unable to agree to revise our network to incorporate the village.”

In response, Coun McMullon has accused the bus company of abandoning the village.

She said: “We have a lot of elderly and infirm residents in Middleton Tyas and they cannot be expected to walk to Scotch Corner to catch the bus.

“This means they are going to be completely and utterly stuck in their homes unless they can get a lift.

“I am furious that Arriva are putting their profits before people.

“They get huge subsidies from the Government and county council and they are just being greedy.”

Coun McMullon said she only asked for buses to stop in the village three times a day on only three days a week.

She said: “We are completely reliant on Arriva and it is not good enough people do not have a bus service.”