AN URGENT call for First Great Western rail service to be nationalised has been made by Stroud MP David Drew, who has called the service "horrendous".

Mr Drew said that last weekend, when the new winter timetable was implemented, was the worst service there had been for a long time.

"It all went pear shaped last week. Obviously I know timetables have to change and it can be difficult, but it was just hopeless," said Mr Drew.

"Everything went wrong, people were left wondering whether the train was going to turn up, which is a terrible position to be in."

Mr Drew has tabled an early day motion calling for the Government to "intervene urgently to protect the interests of the passengers and to conduct an urgent public review to determine whether the interests of the passengers would be better served by bringing the franchise back into public ownership".

Mr Drew said: "Sometimes the trains are late, but worse than that sometimes they don't turn up at all which is horrendous.

"There are a lot of people who use Cam and Dursley station to commute to either Gloucester or Bristol and it is a nightmare for them.

"I am saying get rid of this company and put it in public ownership or find someone who can run this service."

Clive Mowforth, from Coaley Junction Action Committee (CoJAC), who commutes from Dursley to Gloucester every day, said the service was "extremely bad".

He said: "I have never known the morning trains to be on time, even if they are only five or 10 minutes late.

"One day both the 8.15am and 9.15am trains were cancelled, which means you get to work at around 11am.

"The problems with the control of First Great Western are the reliability of the trains and shortage of train crew.

"Certainly drastic action is needed to sort the service out."

A spokesman for First Great Western said: "First Great Western apologises to any customers affected by high levels of staff absence due to sickness, which disrupted train services in the Stroud Valley area last weekend.

"Although we have reserve staff to cover this kind of eventuality, unfortunately, high numbers of staff absence meant we had to terminate and start some journeys short of their designated stations."