LATE night bus services have been reintroduced in Wyre Forest following an 18-month gap.

Buses operated by Choice Travel began complementing daytime and mid-evening services run by First from Monday.

As well as running the late evening buses, Choice Travel has replaced First as the operator of routes 11 and 12 on the Kidderminster-Bewdley-Stourport routes.

Those services are being run on a revised timetable, using a low-floor, easy access bus.

The new late evening buses are running from Mondays through to Saturdays and also use the low-floored vehicles.

The late evening services both start and finish at Kidderminster Railway Station, calling in at the town's bus station along the way.

First operates both services up to mid-evening, following which Choice Travel's service 2 will leave Kidderminster Bus Station for Bewdley at 8pm, 9pm, 10pm and 11pm, returning from Bewdley at 8.30pm, 9.30pm, 10.30pm and 11.30pm.

Service 3 will leave the bus station at Kidderminster for Stourport at 8.48pm, 9.48pm and 10.48pm, returning from Stourport at 9.18pm, 10.18pm and 11.18pm.

The new services are financed with Rural Bus Challenge funds and implemented through the Wyre Forest Bus Quality Partnership.

Wyre Forest District Council and Opportunity Bewdley are among partner organisations playing roles in the service improvements.

Worcestershire County Council's cabinet member for environment, councillor John Smith, said: "These services will be a great boost to the evening economy and I hope that residents take the opportunity to use them as often as possible, so evening services may have a long-term future.

"The services are ideal for late workers and those wishing to leave the car at home to go for an evening out in Bewdley, Stourport or Kidderminster."