LISS villagers were shocked to learn this week that a vital direct bus link to hospitals in Portsmouth is to be axed. Stagecoach announced this week that it had carried out a review of the 38 service between Liss Forest and Portsmouth and decided that it was "no longer commercially viable". The service, said Stagecoach, would be withdrawn in September and would be replaced between Waterlooville and Liss Forest by extending the 37 bus service over the route of the 38 and at the same hourly frequency. This will mean Liss villagers will still be able to reach Portsmouth, but only if they change buses or take a train from Petersfield. But in a letter to Liss Parish Council this week, Hampshire County Council's transport officer, John Mariner, said: "It can be deduced that it will no longer be possible to travel direct by bus to Portsmouth from points between Liss Forest and Clanfield. "A change of bus will be required en route or a change of mode to train at Petersfield. From Clanfield onward, there is a direct bus service to Portsmouth operated by First Group." But Mr Mariner stressed that students' buses to South Downs College would be maintained, along with school buses for children travelling from Liss to The Petersfield School. He asked Liss parish councillors for their views by July 6, so that he could forward the views to Stagecoach. This week, Liss parish clerk Dick Bowery told The Herald that councillors were appalled at the lack of consultation before the decision was taken to cut the bus service . He said: "We are also concerned that these changes affect those people without their own transport who have hospital appointments in Portsmouth and who will no longer be able to reach Portsmouth directly."