A bus operator has told a council to 'put its money where its mouth is' to show it is serious about getting cars off the road.

Chris Chatfield, of Worthing-based Compass Travel, is waiting to hear if some of its services, including the number 14 in Lancing, will fall victim to cuts by West Sussex County Council.

He wants the Government and council to find the money needed to keep services which his company could not run without support.

He said: "Nationally and locally there is talk of using buses to get cars off the road, but when it comes to the crunch and finding the extra money, no one wants to do it.

"The service 14 carries 20 children a day attending the Boundstone School at Lancing and if it goes that will just mean another 20 cars on the road."

The cuts to subsidised routes are being considered as the council, which spends £1.4 million keeping buses on the road, faces an overspend by the end of the financial year of £570,000.

The council could withdraw support for many routes by the end of next week, with more to follow before November.

A new points system will be used to decide which services will continue to receive support.

The council says there are other major routes in the town as well as Mr Chatfield's services.

He says his buses are used by 100 people a day, many of them elderly.

Mr Chatfield, who operates 20 council contracts, said: "Some of them are in their 70s or 80s and walking a quarter-of-a-mile to another bus stop is not an option".

Cabinet member councillor Tex Pemberton will decide which contracts will not be renewed at the end of September.

He says buses are a way of keeping cars off the roads and provide a vital service but he cannot allow the public transport budget to go heavily into the red.

He said: "I could go to my Cabinet colleagues and ask if I can rob their budgets but if I took money from education there would be a hue and cry and the answer would be no.

"If it was social services the answer would be absolutely no, because it is already £12million under-funded by the Government.

"It is not easy."

Coun Pemberton has ordered a review of all transport provided by the council which hopes it will lead to a more integrated transport system across the county.

He said: "I want to look at the whole picture and perhaps we could even consider sponsorship of buses by the big supermarkets, because after all we are paying to take people to them to do their shopping."

He hinted one of the threatened routes could be saved as he takes the final decision over the level of subsidies during the next few days.

He said: "I will consider all the points that have been put to me but there was talk about improving marketing but this is something which is down to the operators.

"They are in the actual business of running the buses through the financial support which we give."