RESIDENTS should consider refusing to pay their council tax in protest after attempts to force a rethink on North Yorkshire bus cuts were blocked, a councillor has claimed.

Seven councillors, led by independent Richmond member Stuart Parsons, called for North Yorkshire County Council to reconsider axing £2 million from bus subsidies, which has sparked fears many communities could be cut off from public transport.

The authority’s transport, economy and environment scrutiny committee decided not to refer the issue back to its executive.

Coun Parsons said no evidence had been provided to ruling councillors about the likely impact of the cuts on vital services.

He said: “I’m spitting feathers and I think a council tax strike could now be an idea to launch action against the council.”

Coun Chris Metcalfe, executive member for public transport, said elderly people would have help to get to hospital if necessary and the council was not getting rid of bus services completely.

He said: “There seems to be a message that we are in a doomsday scenario – we are reducing services, not withdrawing them.”