SPECIAL free buses are set to run in Blackburn and Darwen to help people without cars spread festive cheer on Christmas Day.

Blackburn Transport will operate a restricted service on its Track 1, Track 4 and Track 5 routes.

The services are being subsidised by Blackburn with Darwen Council, which owns Blackburn Transport.

Coun Andy Kay, executive member for regeneration at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "This is something we have supported for a long time.

"Blackburn with Darwen is an area with low car ownership and people do need to get around.

"For example, it will help people to visit relatives who need to spend Christmas in hospital."

The Track 1 service will run between Blackburn town centre and Darwen Cemetery between 12.45pm and 4.45pm, leaving Ainsworth Street at 12.45pm, 1.15pm, 1.45pm, 2.15pm, 2.45pm, 3.15pm, 3.45pm, 4.15pm and 4.45pm.

It will leave Darwen Cemetery at 1.16pm, 1.46pm, 2.16pm, 2.46pm, 3.16pm, 3.46pm, 4.16pm, 4.46pm and 5.16pm. The track four service running from Ainsworth Street to Blackburn Royal Infirmary, Highercroft and Queen's Park Hospital, will leave the town centre every half hour from 1.15pm until 5.15pm.

It will pass the Infirmary every half hour from 1.21pm until until 5.21pm, and pass Queen's Park Hospital at a minute past and 31 minutes past the hour.

The Track 5 Outer Circle service running from Intack to Little Harwood, Billinge, Green Lane, Blackburn Royal Infirmary, Queen's Park Hospital and back to Intack will run every hour between noon and 5pm.

The anti-clockwise route, going first to Little Harwood, will leave Intack at 32 minutes past the hour, with the last service leaving Intack at 4.32pm.

It will call at BRI and Queen's Park Hospital at 13 minutes past and 22 minutes past the hour respectively.

The clockwise route, going first to Queen's Park Hospital, will leave Intack at 12.15pm, and call at Queen's Park Hospital at 12.25pm and BRI at 12.34pm. It will be repeated every hour until 4.15pm.

No other bus services will be running in East Lancashire on Christmas Day.

On Boxing Day, only Blackburn Transport is operating services in East Lancashire, with all journeys costing £2.

The Track 1 will operate between Accrington and Darwen Cemetery on a special timetable, while services from Blackburn town centre and Wilpshire (Track 2), Highercroft, BRI and Queen's Park Hospital (Track 4), Audley and Shadsworth (Track 8), and Mill Hill, Green Lane and Leyburn Road (Track 22).

The Track 5 circular service will also operate.

Information on all the festive timetables is available from County Information Centres and by calling Traveline on 0870 608 2 608.

Information is also available online at www.transportfor-lancashire.com