FREE bus travel for pensioners and disabled people is to be extended across the whole of Worcestershire from April.

Bus pass holders will be able to use the scheme at any time of the day, seven days a week, to journey to all corners of the county and back.

The scheme - restricted to trips starting and finishing in the county - is available to anyone aged 60 and over.

The city council plans to introduce 'smart cards' that will be issued for the lifetime of a holder when the scheme starts.

Cards will be free and are designed to save both city and county councils future costs on passes.

The move will benefit more than 125,000 people - almost a quarter of Worcestershire's population.

Pensioners catching the bus at CrownGate station, Worcester, welcomed the move.

William O'Keeffe, aged 84, and his friend David Barker, 82, both of Grimley, regularly get the bus to and from Worcester City centre.

Mr O'Keeffe said: "This is great news for pensioners. It's a good deal for us."

Worcester City Council leader Stephen Inman said: "It is a great deal for our elderly and disabled citizens and I am really pleased to have got it in place. This move demonstrates our commitment to providing free travel

not just within city boundaries but within the whole county."

"We're very pleased to have secured a very good deal, not only for the people of Worcester, but for people across Worcestershire."

City leaders had been working with the county council in drawing up costs for the expansion of the free bus service for several months.

The county council has agreed to provide £480,000 to district councils for the specific purpose of free travel in Worcestershire.

The city council has already approved the plan and other councils are set to rubberstamp it at the end of January.

Each district council has drawn up individual budgets to ensure the project stays on track. The estimated total cost is £3.2m.

Cabinet member for transport Coun Martin Clarke said: "This is a tremendous step forward. It's great that it helps people in the many tiny villages outside of Worcester who can now use the service free."