FED-UP council chiefs have asked the Department of Transport to investigate "totally unacceptable" bus services in Wyre Forest.

A long-running catalogue of complaints about dropped services and buses not turning up or running late has fired councillors into action.

They have informed the DoT of the district's "deteriorating" public transport situation.

But the district's main bus operator, First, has hit back, claiming the main obstacle to improved services is the failure of the district council to provide a good transport infrastructure.

Councillor Fran Oborski, who chairs the district's environment and development scrutiny committee, said members had reached the end of their tether.

"We are told by the Government to take steps to get people out of their cars and onto the buses, and to restrict parking provision in towns to try to discourage people using their vehicles. I'm afraid that in Wyre Forest that is a joke.

"This is an urban area but the bus services provided are poor and deteriorating. We are working closely with the county council on this issue but felt it was important to let the DoT know what was happening here.

"We require a much higher level of government-funded subsidy. The managers at First bus company are profit-focused and not public service-focused."

The committee carried out an exercise before Christmas involving discussions with business leaders, residents, taxi drivers, parish and town councils and First.

It revealed problems including cancelled services, breakdowns, and expensive journeys.

Councillors voted to send their observations to Worcestershire County Council as part of a review of bus services and to urge them to restart moves to establish a "bus quality partnership" for Wyre Forest, as well as contacting transport chiefs in London.