DETAILS of how villages and tourist attractions in the Ripon area will be boosted by a new bus services have been revealed.

As part of a £450,000 funding package by North Yorkshire County Council, two mini buses will provide links between villages and the rapidly growing industrial estate at Melmerby.

The buses will also provide a vital public transport link from Ripon to Fountains Abbey and Lightwater Valley, at North Stainley.

The cash has been secured by the county council from the Government's Rural Bus Challenge, following consultations with parish councils, the Yorkshire Dales Passenger Transort Users' Group and Ripon Council for Voluntary Service (RCVS).

Villages to benefit from the buses include Melmerby, Wath, Hutton Conyers, Sinderby, villages between Ripon and Masham, Markington and Bishop Monkton.

The service will be operated by Harrogate District Community Transport which also provides the Dial-a-Ride service for the elderly and disabled.

Lynne Costelloe, director of the community transport group, said: "We hope that the service will be running by April. This successful bid follows last year's initiative which resulted in a south Harrogate bus service and development of the Harrogate District Transport co-ordination centre which will be used to manage this new extended service."

The announcement comes as Harrogate District Transport Forum met in Ripon for the first time in five years. The group held its initial meeting in Ripon, bringing together councillors, transport providers, bus and rail users, health services, social services and the employment service.

County Councillor Jim Clark, treasurer of the forum, said: "Community transport is playing an ever important role in linking villages with market towns and employment. Without this service people in villages without access to cars can feel very isolated."