A bus company has officially axed a "valuable" service despite thousands of people signing a petition to save it.

Hertfordshire County Council is now scrambling to save what it can of the 84 route before it ends at the end of March.

The 84 service operated by Metroline runs half-hourly on weekdays between New Barnet and St Albans and also runs on weekends.

It stops at many key hubs and locations including St Albans railway station, Colney Fields Retail Park in London Colney, the village of South Mimms, and Potters Bar Community Hospital.

After it emerged Metroline was looking at axing the route, a petition was set up which has gathered more than 4,500 signatures.

At the time, the county council said Metroline was "intending" to cut the route but it has now been confirmed that it has been axed from Metroline's list of routes.

A council spokespersons said: "We can confirm that Metroline has deregistered service 84 with effect from April 2022. This is because the service is no longer viable for the company to operate.

"Our officers are currently engaging with bus operators, through the Intalink Partnership, to identify options for how much of the route may remain. Given the route also crosses the border into London, we are also raising our concerns with Transport for London about cross-boundary travel that may be affected.

"We hope to announce a decision in due course regarding replacement services."

The petition stated stopping the 84 bus route would have "devastating consequences" for the community pointing towards the elderly and schoolchildren who particularly rely on the service.

Local politicians say they have been "inundated" with messages and emails from concerned members of the community.

Potters Bar borough councillor Chris Myers, who is also a parish councillor in South Mimms, says he and his Labour colleague Cllr Christian Gray have written to the county council to ask to do it all it can to save the service.

Hertsmere Conservative MP Oliver Dowden said today that a number of Potters Bar residents have also raised concerns and says he himself is "extremely concerned".

Mr Dowden said he would be arranging a meeting with Metroline at the "earliest opportunity" to "urge them to keep the route in operation".

He added he will be writing to the county council regarding its role in funding the service.

Metroline were approached for comment. The petition can be viewed here.