The Weymouth park and ride service will be closed this winter as the county council moves to make the troubled service break even.

The Mount Pleasant site will be closed from October 1 and staff and buses deployed elsewhere.

In May, the Dorset Echo reported that the service is losing the equivalent of £450 per day and operating at a loss of thousands of pounds.

A county council spokesperson said it has not yet been confirmed how much money closing the service during winter will save. The park and ride is expected to re-open on April 1.

Cllr Peter Finney, the council’s cabinet member for environment, said:“It is clear that the service is invaluable in the summer, especially when the town hosts special events such as the seafood festival and, of course, carnival day.

“But the uptake from workers and regular visitors hasn’t been enough to continue the service during the winter.”

“By closing the scheme when it’s not being used, we can make significant savings that we can use to provide residents with services they need and redeploy staff and vehicles in other areas.”

The drivers and buses will be used in other parts of the county council, helping fulfil duties in the adult care service.

And season tickets holders have already been informed and given an alternative for the duration of their pass.

The site will be made secure with signs, lighting and CCTV all being changed where appropriate. The site will still collect energy from solar power so will create revenue for the council all year round.