HARROGATE-based Blazefield Holdings will take over East Lancashire bus services on April 15th following a buy-out from Stagecoach.

And today the company which has bought out Stagecoach's depots in Blackburn, Burnley, Clitheroe and Bolton, moved quickly today to reassure 600 staff that jobs and services are safe.

The firm, which already operates several town services in Yorkshire also announced major capital investment in local bus services -- with the Burnley area alone earmarked to get 40 new buses.

Operations from Blackburn, Clitheroe and Bolton will trade under the Lancashire United banner.

Services from the Burnley Queensgate depot will operate as Burnley and Pendle Travel Ltd.

Lancashire county transport chiefs say the company has given assurances it will continue to participate in the Hyndburn Quality Bus Partnership and with arrangements flowing from the Clitheroe Interchange, and are acquiring from Stagecoach the necessary vehicles to meet these obligations.

County environmental director Graham Harding said the firm also confirmed its commitment to develop the Burnley Main Line Corridor Partnership and said an order had been made for 25 low-floor single deck buses to operate the route.

He added Blazefield had no plans for changing the commercial network in the area.

The company had given assurances it would operate the public transport call centre, the countywide concessionary travel scheme, the carriage of school and college students as part of the Education Maintenance Allowance pilot and the Ribble Valley joint ticketing scheme, he added.

Today Burnley MP Peter Pike said on the April 15 takeover date some buses would "not be very good", but older vehicles would be replaced over the next five months.