Shock has been expressed over a sudden decision to withdraw Konect Buses' number 7 service from Norwich to Great Yarmouth.

The service which operates via Great Yarmouth's Market Gates, Norwich's Postwick Park and Ride and Broadlands Business Park will be pulled as of March 12.

It will leave First Buses as the only operator along the Great Yarmouth to Norwich corridor.

First Buses have been made aware of the service's withdrawal, and a spokesman said they are looking into the viability of the route to determine if there is enough demand to enhance the services they operate between Norwich and Great Yarmouth.

Their route does not take them through the Park and Ride or the Broadlands Business Park.

A spokesman from Konect Buses said: 'We undertake regular reviews of our routes and we felt that this change would enable us to maintain a high quality park and ride service to our customers. The route to the City from Postwick P&R (X7) is not affected but will simply be renumbered as 5.'

One person who will be affected is Susan Greengrass of Gorleston who has to commute to Broadland Business Park every day for her work at Perenco.

She said: 'There are a large number of commuters and school children who rely on this service to get them to work/school and we are in shock to discover that without any consulation the service has been cancelled.

'We appreciate them undertaking a review of the service times during the day however, literally cutting off the whole service, leaving many of us stranded and worrying how we are to get to work, really does not make any sense.

'We have suggested to Konectbus that they could offer a service purely at peak/commuter times say 2-3 buses in the morning and late afternoon/early evening which would easily be economically viable.'

Konect Buses is also to cease running the 73 Norwich St Stephen's Street to Caister from the same date.

The 52 Acle to Cringleford service will be renumbered to 5B also.

Steve Hewitt, chairman of the East Norfolk Transport Users Association said: 'It is never a good thing to lose a service.

'Unfortunately I am not too suprised as they are against the First X1 and X11 services which also operate Yarmouth to Norwich services and there probably isn't seen a need for six services between the two in an hour before you add the train services on top.

'The park and ride is really aimed more at those travelling to Norwich, for people travelling to Yarmouth they would just get the straight journey up from Norwich.'