A 62-year-old Burton woman says she has been left "shocked and disappointed" as a vital community bus service hit by council contract cuts and EU rules prepares for closure after more than 20 years.

Carol Woolley, from Stapenhill, has spoken out following the announcement that East Staffs Mobility Link will be controversially closing its doors on April 30 with the loss of ten jobs in total, including drivers and office staff.

Ms Woolley, who suffers with cerebral palsy, says she will be forced to use taxis to enable her to get about.

She said: “I have been using the service for many years. I use it three times a week going shopping on Thursday and Friday and I see my friend on Tuesday.

“I cannot walk very well so the drivers take me to and from my door with my shopping. They are really helpful and kind.

East Staffs Mobility Link will close on April 30

“I am so disappointed to hear it is closing. I will now have to use a normal bus or taxi which will be expensive.”

The Stapenhill Road-based service helps more than 1,000 elderly and isolated residents get about, but manager Sue Gardner says a key factor behind the closure is drivers being ordered to undergo training courses to comply with regulations from Brussels - even though Britain is set to leave the EU. The training is an added expense the service claims it cannot pay, she said.

The not-for-profit organisation, which runs the Dial-a-Ride service providing door-to-door service for elderly and disabled passengers heading into Burton, is set to axe 5,000 journeys a month.

The Burton Mail previously reported that the closure had been triggered by the absence of future funding and changes to the operating vehicle licensing laws announced by the Government. Transport bosses say this is to keep Britain in line with EU laws. Many previous contracts run by the service and funded by councils have also stopped.

It was announced last year that Staffordshire County Council was putting the contracts for its Dial-A-Ride services under review in a bid to save cash.

Ten drivers will lose their jobs having clocked up many years with the service

East Staffs Mobility Link was handed a reprieve by funder Consolidated Charities, which donated £45,000 to enable its Dial-a-Ride service to continue but the money has now run out.

Mark Deaville, Staffordshire County Council's cabinet member for commercial, previously said the group had a contract won through a competitive tender to provide a service to the county council, but that contract ceased two years ago because there was no longer a need for it.

On the EU regulations, a spokesman for the Department for Transport said some operators may need to ensure they and their drivers have professional licences, especially if they compete for commercial contracts.