TRIPS to Manchester from Accrington will take less than an hour on a new direct bus service to start on Saturday.

The new 700 bus service will take customers direct from Whalley, Great Harwood, Clayton-le-Moors, Accrington, Baxenden and Haslingden.

The modern single-deckers will go through each town and take customers down the M66 to Manchester's Victoria Train Station.

The buses leave every 90 minutes and the cost of a peak return from Whalley to Manchester is £7, with a £5 ticket for off-peak travellers and students.

There are also weekly passes at a discounted rate for regular travellers and commuters.

The new service has come about after Lancashire County Council and the new operator, Lancashire United,talked to customers to find out what they wanted.

A spokesman for the County Council said: "We did the research so we could fulfil the needs of travellers rather than carry-on with the same old service."