Budget airline Ryanair has announced it is abandoning expansion plans at Bournemouth airport.

Following its takeover of rivals Buzz on Friday, a spokesman for Ryanair said that seven new services - due to start from Bournemouth on 30 March - will no longer happen.

Ryanair already operate three routes from Bournemouth, to Dublin, Frankfurt and Glasgow.

The new routes would have doubled the capacity of the airport.

Cancelled routes

Amsterdam - Schiphol Bergerac - Dordogne La Rochelle Malaga - Costa del Sol Murcia - Costa Calida Paris - Charles de Gaulle

More than 50,000 people have bought tickets for the Bournemouth-based services.

But Ryanair says it will be contacting them as soon as possible.

On Tuesday, Ryanair chief executive, Michael O'Leary, warned that Buzz could be shut down altogether if its staff did not agree to adopt the company's labour practices.

He warned that Buzz would be closed, while Ryanair would retain its flights slots.