The hosts of a Bristol radio programme are furious after being told their show is being taken off the air.

Paul Alexander and Ricky "2Tuff" Reid have presented Star 107 FM's Sunday night Soul Train for two-and-a-half years, but were told on Tuesday the slot had been cancelled for the foreseeable future.

The news came as it was announced that Star FM has been taken over by rival Original in a multi-million pound deal.

Ricky, 45, a full-time DJ from Old Market, said: "We were told by Ricky Lee from Original that they are looking to change a few things and that at the moment they are going to suspend our show.

"I asked him more about this and he told me that the show may never come back on air. He also told me that they don't think they will have a show dedicated to soul music on the station, and that he would call in two weeks to let me know what was happening."

Ricky and Paul host the five- hour show on a voluntary basis.

St George resident Paul, 54, a partner in an independent financial adviser business, said: "What saddens us is that there has been no announcement to our listeners to tell them what is happening. We have about 35,000 listeners, and we want to let them know that when they tune in on Sunday night, we won't be there. We are appalled that this has happened. We have really enjoyed doing the show."

Ricky said: "We would have liked to have said thank you for the support of our listeners over the years."

Original managing director Richard Johnson, who owns the company with business partner Jonathan Arendt, said: "No decisions have been made yet. Programming may change, but nothing has been decided. The Soul Train show has been stood down for this week because of resources, but they have not been told they are off the air for good. We are meeting with them next week to decide what is happening. There might not be a dedicated soul show in the future but no decision has been made yet."

Star, based in the Post building in Temple Way, was sold for an undisclosed amount to Original, which broadcasts from offices in Ashton Gate. Under the deal, Star will transfer its studios, its eight full-time and five part-time staff, to Original next month. Both stations will keep their names.