A national charity has backed pensioners upset after the Vale of White Horse District Council refused to subsidise an extra 30 minutes for the new national bus pass scheme.

Age Concern has launched petitions across the Vale calling for people over 60 and those with disabilities to use their concessionary bus passes, introduced at the beginning of April, from 9am.

Although the councils are required by the Government to run the scheme from 9.30am, three Oxfordshire councils are funding theirs to start at 9am, but not the Vale.

Mary Daniel, chief executive of Age Concern Oxfordshire, said: "We know how important concessionary fares are to so many older people and are keen to try to persuade the councils concerned to reconsider."