THE campaign to prevent free bus travel for the elderly being cut has been taken up by charity shops across Hampshire.

The county's Help the Aged stores are now collecting signatures from customers on the Daily Echo's petition urging the government not to let a challenge from bus operators end the countywide scheme.

Completed copies have continued to flood in from dismayed pensioners desperate not to lose the privilege of travel across Hampshire, which many say is essential to their quality of life.

Thousands have put their name to a campaign to safeguard the scheme after operators asked for more money to run the service as they did not receive enough to reflect the number of trips being made by pass holders.

Now concerned residents can add their backing to the campaign by popping into any of the Help the Aged charity shops across the county.

Caroline White, who manages the charity's shop in Portswood Road, Southampton, believes any subject to do with pensioners and their finances "tugs at the heart strings".

"There's a lot of people out there who rely on the bus services and also have limited resources," she said.

"Bills and taxes go up, but pensions don't go up with them.

"If they have to pay for bus trips they are going to be forced to stay at home more and their lives will be really interrupted."

Mrs White added that many of those who could lose out are likely to be customers at Help the Aged shops.

"We're glad to have the petition," she said. "Obviously, a lot of our customers are elderly and rely on the buses to get into the shopping centres.

"Quite a lot of them live quite a long way out, so this could really effect them."