A "NEGLECTED" corner of Wanstead will finally have its own bus service from this Saturday onwards - after nearly 20 years of campaigning by residents.

Households along New Wanstead road have been trying since the 1980s to persuade the authorities to divert at least one route along their street, claiming the lack of public transport completely cut off those without cars from the rest of town.

But from this Saturday (September 5) Transport for London (TfL) have finally agreed to divert the number 66 bus between Romford and Leytonstone along Wanstead High Street and New Wanstead, away from its previous route along Blake Hall Road and Bush Road.

Jean Freeman, 88, is believed to be the only surviving campaigner from a string of protests in the 1990s.

Her husband John had been at the forefront of the campaign, but died last year before the decision to divert the bus was finally made.

She said: “I'm over the moon - and all my neighbours are so happy too.

“My son lives in Chadwell Heath so it means for the first time I can go straight to his house and home again without him having to worry about driving me back and forth.

“To be truthful I never expected we'd ever achieve this. We used to go to lots of council meetings and get quite far, but then a new set of council leaders would come along and we'd be back to square one.

“I can't wait to finally get on that bus.”

Jan Spurling, of retirement complex Weavers’ House, said the move would prove a lifeline to many elderly residents of limited mobility, who are unable to walk the distance to other routes on the High Street.

She said: “It is wonderful but at the same time it's a bit sad that many of the original campaigners are no longer around to see this day.”

The change of route was finally agreed after more recent lobbying from residents and Wanstead's long-term established councillors including Cllr Sue Nolan, Cllr Chris Cummings and Cllr Peter Goody.

Despite the change in route, the number 66 will continue to run every 12 minutes during the day from Monday to Saturday, and every 30 minutes in the evening and on Sundays.