DISABLED Debbie Pemberton has relaunched a petition expressing anger at the lack of buses between Wellington and Musgrove Park Hospital which already has 3,000 names.

She is particularly disappointed by Wellington Town Council’s reluctance to support the petition which she started at the beginning of August.

“This is going to be the first winter without a bus service to the hospital and I am just trying to help people,” said Ms Pemberton yesterday. “More than 3,000 people feel the same way and I am not able to put the petition to good use.”

A direct bus service from Wellington to Musgrove ended when WebberBus collapsed earlier this year and no funds were available to re-introduce it.

Ms Pemberton added: “I now have our local MP Rebecca Pow on board and we have had a meeting.”

Ms Pow said: “I was pleased to meet Debbie to understand both Debbie’s concerns and those of many others first hand.

“Debbie has worked hard to gather together a petition calling for the relevant bus to be reinstated and clearly many people feel strongly about this issue.

“After a full discussion I agreed that I will request a meeting with First Bus at which I will present the petition and ask them to consider whether there is any way we can help those affected by the lack of a service calling at the hospital.

“First Bus is a private company and while I cannot order them to reinstate the service perhaps there is some mileage in adapting a current service to take in the hospital stop.”

If you would like to sign the petition, then please visit Paws ’n’ Claws, 12 High Street, Wellington.