FREE bus passes for local pensioners are causing a serious funding council officials, local MP Jeremy Browne said today, Friday.

He has tabled a motion in the House of Commons calling on the Government to pay the cost of their national policy.

Mr Browne, whose constituency covers Wellington, said: "My concern is the serious funding shortfall which will impact on all Taunton Deane council tax payers.

"The concessionary pensioner bus travel scheme is a national initiative but the national Government is not meeting all of the cost."

See Wednesday's Wellington Weekly News for more on this story.