THE full extent of the threat to North Yorkshire bus services is today revealed by The Northern Echo.

The county council is reviewing the future of 89 of its most heavily subsidised services.

The review has been launched in an attempt to cut costs.

At present, the county council spends £4m a year on subsidising bus services.

All services which costs the council more than £5 per passenger journey are being examined.

Many of the services are evening, weekend and rural services connecting villages with nearby towns.

About 400 responses have been received from town and parish councils which took part in a consultation exercise.

Councillor Clare Wood, executive member for environmental services, said the comments would be considered and a decision on the future of the services would probably be made later this month.

Coun Wood said many of the services would be maintained, adding: "The needs of people are critical to us.

"We have to balance what we can afford, with social need and access to services, as well as work and leisure uses."

The impending closure of the Arriva depot, in Richmond, has increased fears over the threat to services in Richmondshire. The depot will close on March 4.

Many of the services run by Arriva will then be cancelled unless council chiefs can find alternative contractors.

Buses used by pensioner Greta Squirrell, 74, of Gilling West, are at risk from both the review and the closure of the depot.

Mrs Squirrell has written to Prime Minister Tony Blair and Richmond MP William Hague outlining her concerns.

She said: "It's an extremely worrying time for myself and for the people who use the buses to get to work.

"I need the bus to get to hospital in Darlington and to go shopping.

"I don't know what I would do if it was cancelled."

Mrs Squirrell said it was ludicrous that the Government was proposing to give pensioners free bus passes.

"We'll have free passes but there won't be any buses," she said.

Routes under threat

Castleford-Tadcaster-Sherburn-Pontefract, service number 491, 492, 493, evening journeys; Tadcaster-Fairburn-Carwood-Sherburn-Micklefield Station, 490, 491, 495, 497, all journeys; Holme On Spalding Moor-Selby/Selby- Drax/Selby-Heminbrough, 1, all journeys; Drax-Selby/Goole-Drax- Selby, 408, decreased frequency; York-Tadcaster (Mon-Sat), 87, all journeys; Tadcaster-Selby (Monday only), 494, Monday journey; Byram Park-Selby (Monday only), 496, Monday journey; Selby Bus Station-York Piccadilly (Sundays), 42, Sunday; Selby-Askern/Doncaster, 405, 407, 7, Sunday; Selby Town Services/Selby-Leeds 7, 402, Sunday; Pontefract-Selby/Selby-Drax/Selby-Hemingbrough, 476, 4, 8, bank holiday mondays.

Selby-Brayton/Doncaster, 7, 405, 407, 477, evenings; Selby-Goole/Selby-Sherburn, 401, 402, evenings; Selby-Cawood-York, 42, evenings; Selby-Leeds/Selby-Riccall, 402, 415, evenings; Selby-Riccall, (Mon, Tues and Wed only) 415, evenings; Pontefract-Knottingley-Doncaster, 414, evenings and Sundays; York-North Duffield-Holme on Spalding Moor, 18, X18, evenings; Scarborough-Helmsley (Mon-Sat), 126, evenings; Malton-Pickering and Whitby, 840, winter Sundays; Malton-Leavening-Acklam-Malton 184, 185, all journeys; Malton-Leavening-Acklam-Howsham-York, (Thurs only), 186, all journeys; Malton-Gt Barugh-Appleton Le Moors-Kirbymoorside, 176, all journeys; Pickering-Rosedale-Pickering-Kirbymoorside Flexibuses, 173, 174, all journeys; Seven Valley Taxibus (Mon-Fri), 175, all journeys; Helmsley-Hovingham-Harome-Ampleforth-Rievaux 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, all journeys; Malton-Yedingham and Wintringham (Wed & Sat), 187, all journeys.

Malton-York and Malton-Coneysthorpe-Scackleton 181, 183, 187, all journeys; Thirsk-Oulston/Thirsk- C Husthwaite-Dalton (circ), Wed and Fri only, 59, 60, 60A, all journeys; Easingwold-Helberby-Linton-York, 31X, journeys between Kirkbymoorside and Easingwold; Whitby-Loftus, X56, evenings; Whitby-Loftus, X56, Sunday evenings; Whitby-Scarborough, 93, evenings; Whitby-Scarborough, 93, 93A, Sunday evenings; Whitby-Northallerton, 27, all journeys; Esk Valley-Whitby/Guisborough, 25/26, all journeys; Scarborough-Seamer-Ayton, 8, 9, Thursday evenings; Scarborough-Hunmanby, 121, Mon-Fri evenings; Scarborough-Primrose Valley, 121, Sat evenings; Scarborough-Hunmanby, 121, Sat evenings; Scarborough-Primrose Valley, 121, Sunday evenings.

Scarborough-Hunmanby, 121, Sat evenings; Harwood Dale and Langdale-Scarborough, 116, all journeys; Ripon/Masham Postbus Service, (Mon, Tues, Wed & Fri), Postbus, all journeys; Cattal-Whixley, (Mon-Sat), shared hire car, all journeys; Green Hammerton-Boroughbridge-Skelton-Ripon, 143, evening journey; Spofforth-Knaresborough (Wed only, shared hire car, Wed) journey; Harrogate-Otley, 904, (evenings and Sundays); Northallerton-Stokesley, 80, 89, journeys between Stokesley and Coulby Newham; Brompton-Northallerton (alternate Saturdays), 1, Wednesday and Saturday; Stokesley-Yarm Stokesley-Newby Stokesley-Ingleby Greenhow, 82, 83, 84, all journeys; Thirsk-Ripon Cundall-Thirsk, 57A, 150, all journeys; Thirsk-Ripon, (Mon, Thurs and Sat), 147, Mon, Thurs and Sat; Thirsk-Topcliffe, 148, 149, 154, all journeys; Various Taxi Buses (Mon and Weds only), demand responsive, all journeys; North Cowton-Great Smeaton, (Mon-Fri), demand responsive, morning journey; Skipton/Crosshills/ Keighley Combination, 70, 79, 80, all off-peak journeys.

Skipton/Crosshills/Keighley Combination, SS1, all journeys; Skipton/Malham, (Sat only), 210, 843, Saturday; Arncliffe-Kilnsey Feeder (Mon-Sat), 76, all journeys; Leeds-Otley-Skipton, X84, evenings and Sundays between Otley & Skipton; Leeds-Skipton-Malham (Sun & bank holiday Mondays), 804, summer Sunday; West Yorkshire-Hawes, 800, summer Sunday; Harrogate-Pateley Bridge (Sun and bank holiday Monday), 24, Sundays; Fountains Flyer (Sunday and bank holiday Mondays), 802, summer Sunday; Pateley Bridge-Middlesmoor (Sunday & bank holiday Mondays), 24/25, summer Sunday; York-Ripon-Grassington, 812, summer Sunday.

West Yorkshire-Hawes, 805, summer Sunday; Darlington-Swaledale-Hawes, 830, summer Sunday; Skipton-Grassington (Sun & Bank Hol Mons), 67A, Sunday; Swaledale Services, 30, 30A, 36, all journeys except school runs; Richmond-Aldbrough St John-Darlington, 29, all off-peak journeys; Hawes-Garsdale Shared Hire Car, all journeys; Richmond-Brompton-on-Swale, 32, 47, all journeys; Scotch Corner-Catterick, 34, morning journey; Richmond-Darlington, 34, evening and Sunday; Richmond Town Service, 31, 31A, 31B, evening and Sunday; Richmond-Brompton on Swale, 47, morning journey; Woodale-Leyburn, 158, Friday journeys; Masham-Bedale, 144, evenings; Bedale-Hawes, 156, 157, Sundays; Bedale-Hawes 156, 157, evenings; Sedbergh-Hawes-Thwaite, 112, 13, Tuesday & Friday journeys; Richmond-Darlington Richmond-Brompton on Swale 29, 47, off-peak journeys.