Keighley's free Christmas Day bus service was just the ticket with townsfolk.

A total of 503 passengers were carried, up 7.5 per cent on last year.

The annual service - covering five routes around the district - is provided by volunteers from Keighley Bus Museum Trust.

A spokesman said: "Although we never carry huge numbers of passengers on Christmas Day, there are significant numbers of people who seek public transport.

"It was particularly noticeable this year that there were many more people making intermediate journeys - like Haworth to Cross Roads, or Steeton to Utley - than in previous years.

"It is clear that we are fulfilling a small, but nevertheless important, local need."

Three heritage buses from the trust's collection of almost 60 vehicles were used this year - a Halifax Corporation Transport Leyland Leopard single-decker, a Huddersfield Corporation Transport Daimler Fleetline double-decker and a Nottingham City Transport Leyland Atlantean double-decker.