A bus service has been slammed for leaving elderly people waiting to be picked up for more than an hour.

The 324 Arriva service, which runs through Garston and Watford Town Centre, has been criticised for a “lack of service” towards those who rely on public transport to get around every day.

Kathleen Light, who lives in Meriden Road, in the Meriden Estate, says the bus has failed to arrive on time every day over the past few months.

The 68-year-old said: “It is not good enough and not very accessible for people.

“It is a big estate and a lot of people rely on the service. It is supposed to come every hour but they do not always turn up and people stand for an hour throughout the day.

“I use the bus to go into town as there is no other easier way to get there. People should not be left waiting.”

Ms Light added the closure of the Garston Bus Garage next year could also impact negatively on services and result in “vital” routes being cut.

She said: “It seems as though nobody is taking a blind bit of notice of people who will be affected directly by the recent decision, as the closure of the bus garage could impact on services even more.

“Rather than getting rid of routes, there needs to be more buses on the road - especially as the last bus is only at 6.25pm.”

Liberal Democrat councillor Amanda Grimston, who represents the Meriden Ward, called the bus service a “lifeline”.

She said: “It is an absolute disgrace that people have to wait around so long for their nearest bus – particularly elderly people who rely on the service.

“The old bus route that residents used before used to be fantastic, but the quality of service has gone downhill recently and for some people, the remaining service is their only lifeline for getting around town.

“We need our local bus service, as for some people it is the only bit of company these people get as they sit and chat to each other. The people of Watford are being failed.”

An Arriva spokesperson, who was not named, said: “We are sorry that customers are experiencing delays on route 324.

“We were aware of some punctuality issues on the service and have recently made changes that we are confident will lead to improved reliability.”