BUS services threatened with changes because of economic pressures could be saved.

More than 1,000 people objected when Go North-East announced changes to services on routes in parts of Derwentside and Gateshead.

Nexus, which oversees Tyne and Wear's Metro and bus services, is offering to provide some replacement services in the short-term at least.

The organisation acted in response to a 1,000-name petition from people, many of them pensioners, in High Spen, Ryton, Blackhall Mill and Barlow Village, who feared the loss of buses between their communities

Nexus development director Bernard Garner said: "We have arranged to maintain a number of essential links in the short-term while we undertake a comprehensive survey into the adequacy of public transport in the area.

"This survey will involve local consultation and be completed by mid-September, and we expect to have the results at the end of October.

"The outcome of the survey will identify the steps that we and bus operators need to take to provide adequate public transport provision.

"In the interim, Nexus has arranged to support service 643 in the evening and on Sundays to maintain services for the residents of the Sunnyside estate. We have also agreed to maintain service 610 through to Blackhall Mill."

He also said that a bus-on-demand service called Ucall, which has a flexible route, will be introduced in the area.

Go North-East's commercial director, Martin Harris, said the changes were prompted by economic pressures. He said: "Some people will find that less convenient, but the services they are changing to will be very frequent."