Keighley will have bus services on both Christmas and Boxing Day for the first time in decades.

An established Christmas Day route run by volunteers will return once again.

Keighley Town Council has now confirmed passenger authority Metro has agreed to fund several routes for Boxing Day.

The Christmas Day service is free for passengers and is run by the Keighley Bus Museum Trust.

Trust volunteer Graham Mitchell said: “This is being funded through small donations from JD Wetherspoon and Keighley Town Council.”

Four services will operate between 10.25am and 3.25pm, starting and finishing outside the Livery Rooms in North Street.

The latest meeting of Keighley Town Council’s watch and transport committee announced there will be Boxing Day buses in Keighley for the first time in at least two decades.

Councillor Mitchell, the watch and transport chairman, said the Boxing Day buses were the result of lobbying of Metro by councillors and the Airedale Shopping Centre.

He added: “Metro has selected five routes and agreed to fund the services, to be operated on contract by Transdev Keighley & District.

“The routes are 66A Airedale Hospital, 703 Braithwaite, 717 Oakworth, 719 Bracken Bank and 760 Keighley-Bingley-Shipley-Leeds.”

Airedale Shopping Centre manager Steve Seymour welcomed the news.

He said: “Footfall through the centre on Boxing Day has been increasing. The demand for a public bus service is clearly there, so I’m really pleased this is happening.”