Bus company bosses are claiming that re-routing a bus along St Thomas Street in Wells would cost more than £150,000.

A 20-strong group of Wells people has objected to the changes which were introduced 18 months ago by the First Bus company on the 376 route from Wells to Bristol.

The group sought the support of Cllr Danny Unwin, calling for the old 376 route to be reinstated so buses travel along St Thomas Street and Bath Road in Wells again rather than the Bristol Hill route.

First Bus says the changes would mean having to add another bus to the system, with extra driver hours and subsequent costs.

Speaking at last week's Central Mendip Comunity Partnership meeting, resident Paul Hopes urged councillors to back the campaign for the old route to be reinstated.

He said no one could understand why it had been changed and it was affecting a lot of people who liked to go to Bristol for shopping and entertainment.

He said the 20 letters sent to Cllr Unwin actually represented the views of around 100 people who could no longer easily catch the bus.

Cllr Unwin said the changes appeared to have been done on a whim and urged the council to write to the bus operator expressing its concern.

"They owe us an explanation," he said.

The meeting agreed that the council's chief executive, David Thomson, should write an urgent letter to First Bus requesting an explanation for the changes and a meeting with the company's representatives,

Cllr Maureen Brandon said the costs put forward by the bus company seemed ludicrous when weighed against the money that would be brought in by additional passengers using the service.