London Transport and Sainsbury's are pressing ahead with their plans to axe the weekday "shopping" bus that runs to the stores at East Dulwich and Streatham Common, despite pleas by residents for the service to be retained.

The Sainsbury's-funded buses S11 and S13 are to be replaced by a Saturdays-only bus, the P15.

People in Dulwich Village say they will be particularly affected by the loss of the weekday bus, the S11, which last year came under threat but was reprieved after a petition was organised.

At the time Dulwich MP Tessa Jowell added her weight to the campaign by writing to David Sainsbury herself.

Coun David Bradbury, Conservative transport spokes- man, said: "People in the Dulwich Village area, especially the elderly, rely on this service to get to nearby big stores now that most of the shops in the village no longer serve everyday needs.

"I have written to LT Buses objecting to the diminution in service this would represent," he added.

Isobel Laughland, of Pickwick Road, told the Guardian the buses were the only means of getting down to Sainsbury's in Dog Kennel Hill and were used by a lot of people in their 70s and 80s.

"It's a vital service - if they built it up they would get people to stop using their cars. Unfortunately they gave it no publicity at all," she said.

A spokesman for London Transport Buses said the service was simply not being used enough.

Closure of the under-used service was only halted a year ago when LT Buses asked the operators and Sainsbury's to continue running it for another year.

A spokesman for Sainsbury's said: "We are delighted to retain the Saturday bus but unfortunately we are with- drawing the weekday service, because it is under-used."

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