Government cutbacks are leading to bus fare increases, transport company chiefs have told MPs.

One bus company boss told the House of Commons Transport Committee that Government grant reductions were "death by a thousand cuts".

The outcome of the Government's spending review was "almost certain to reduce (bus) network coverage and increase fares," said the Local Government Association (LGA) in written evidence to the committee.

Mike Cooper, managing director of Arriva Bus UK, told MPs that fares in Derbyshire were set to rise by around 10%, with Staffordshire fares going up about 7% and those in North Yorkshire rising 6%.

He added that some routes were being cut and some frequencies altered. "It's death by a thousand cuts," he said.

Robert Montgomery, service performance director with Stagecoach UK Bus, said the biggest impact on bus services was likely to be in the Midlands, the Shire counties and towards the south of England. He said that fare rises could be as much as 5% to 6% in some areas.

Ben Colson, managing director of East Anglia bus company Norfolk Green, said that his company had not put fares up at the moment but might in the future. He added that his company was reducing its bus journey mileage by 4% to 5%.

In written evidence the LGA said: "The (Government's) spending review will affect bus passengers by making it harder for councils and operators to maintain the current number of routes and by increasing fares.

"Neither effect can be either predicted or controlled by councils, or national Government."

In written evidence, Devon County Council said: "The prospects for local bus transport are bad; the prospects for rural bus services are far worse."