Nearly 1,000 people have failed to convince the Vale of White Horse it should change its bus pass start time for pensioners.

The national travel scheme for over-60s came into force across England in April and requires all councils to start the free travel for pass holders from 9.30am.

Most councils decided to allow free travel from 9am, to meet the needs of older and disabled residents, but the Vale of White Horse District Council has refused to shift.

Cherwell District Council last week decided to review its bus pass start times in September, after pressure from pensioners. Oxford City Council, and West and South Oxfordshire district councils pay bus firms to operate a 9am start time.

Age Concern Oxfordshire has been campaigning for people in the Vale over the age of 60 and those with disabilities, to be able to use their concessionary bus passes half an hour earlier.

It presented the council executive with a petition earlier this month signed by nearly 1,000 people, but to no avail.

Council leader Tony de Vere said: "The council simply does not have the financial resources to fund any extension to the Government's statutory times.

"This means the start time for free off-peak travel in the Vale will remain 9.30am, as that is what the Government provides funding for."

Age Concern Oxfordshire chief executive Mary Daniel said: "We are very disappointed that the voices and concerns of older and disabled residents in the Vale have been ignored by their representatives."

Lewis Beadle, 65, of Steventon Road, Drayton, said: "It's just a matter of fairness.

"This has been advertised as a national scheme and as far as I am concerned it should be the same for everybody across the country.

"A lot of people like to go to Oxford shopping early in the morning but they can't catch the bus when they want to."

Peter Manning, 79, of Frilsham Street, Sutton Courtenay, said the start time affected many people in the village who needed to get to Oxford for hospital appointments.

He said: "The Vale are getting very dictatorial in a number of ways and bus passes are one of them.

"It's not coming out of their pocket, it's being paid for by council tax payers and it seems very mealy-mouthed of them the way they are going about this.

"Old age is bad enough as it is, without all these stupid regulations they're putting forward."