BUS firm Arriva should have its contract revoked, says a former Mayor of High Wycombe.

Paul Lambourne has come to the end of his tether with the “poor and unreliable” service he receives from Arriva and believes it is time the firm had its contract torn up.

In a letter to the Free Press, Mr Lambourne said: “I and many others have to endure this poor and unreliable 37 service from High Wycombe to Bourne End and Maidenhead each day. “At best it’s late and at worse it doesn’t run, albeit the real time notice boards say it's on time.

“Arriva fails to provide a good customer experience, and if that wasn’t bad enough, we also often have to endure grumpy drivers. “A smile or a good morning wouldn't go amiss, and would cost them nothing, thus making our journey and experience more acceptable.”

Arriva announced last month that is was increasing the price of its fares, which it blamed on the rise in fuel tax and a cut in Government funding.

But Mr Lambourne said the company’s service does not justify the price hike and would like to see Carousel providing more services in the area.

His thoughts have been echoed by BFP reader Celia Cook, who wrote an open email to Arriva urging the firm to up its game.

She wrote: “I have to catch two buses to get to and from work every day, and the evening buses never connect because of the unreliability of the no.37 service.

“This is not funny, and I do not see why we have to keep paying higher fares for buses that do not run. We are only asking that you run as per your timetable, even though this is too few and far between.”

Arriva declined to comment when contacted by the Bucks Free Press but said it would respond directly to Mr Lambourne and Mrs Cook.