Residents in one part of the borough will no longer be able to access a local bus route when service cuts come into effect in August.

Diamond Buses will be halting the 574 bus route between Leigh and Bolton on August 30.

A new service, the 516, will be used for passengers looking to travel between Leigh and Middlebrook, with the 575 and 576 services continuing to run the Bolton to Middlebrook route.

However, none of these routes will go directly to Markland Hill, with residents forced to head out of their way to Chorley Old or New Road to make the same journey.

A spokesman for Diamond Bus North West said: "Unfortunately the 574 has been heavily loss making for a number of years, despite a number of initiatives to boost patronage.

"This does mean the Markland Hill area is unserved, other than the high frequency services that operate along bordering Chorley Old and New Roads.

"We are working with TfGM officers to establish whether a subsidised replacement can be provided."

The 574 currently runs past Doffcocker Lodge, before heading down Stapleton Avenue to join Chorley New Road near Beaumont Road.

The route, which previously terminated at Middlebrook, was extended to Leigh in January after the 517 route that served Leigh and Middlebrook was slashed due to issues with punctuality that would be too costly to fix.

Markland Hill currently has 15 timetabled services in each direction from Monday to Friday, and 13 services on Saturdays.

The Leigh portion of the route does not run in the evenings, terminating at Middlebrook.