A BUS service which aims to help people get around Dales villages and enjoy Saturday nights out in Skipton and Ilkley is set to re-start on Saturday (January 7).

The Wharfedale Packhorse, which is operated and administered by the Upper Wharfedale Community Interest Company, will initially run once a month to take passengers between villages throughout Upper Wharfedale, plus to and from Ilkley and Skipton.

The 17-seater minibus will be running scheduled trips on the first Saturday of every month to Ilkley, Skipton, Harrogate, Richmond, Hawes and Settle at a cost of £10 return, whilst the Packhorse is also available for hire to locals and groups visiting the Dales.

Fares start at £1.50 for the first village stop or a flat £2.50 for unlimited stops one way in the Dale and £4 to Skipton or Ilkley. Children go for £1 and the elderly with passes travel free.

A service through Littondale is scheduled to start in April.

Jonathan Shepherd, one of the directors at Upper Wharfedale Community Interest Company, said: "We launched the service in May last year with the help of Grassington Hub, but it was problematic with the availability of their minibus.

"This was eventually taken back by North Yorkshire County Council, so we decided to acquire our own minibus with some of the proceeds from the Wharfedale Beer Festival, plus donations from Dark Horse and Wharfedale Breweries, pubs throughout the area, the public and a very welcome grant from the Yorkshire Dales National Park's sustainable development fund.

"We have relaunched the service because there is clearly a lot of demand from residents. Whilst we all live in beautiful villages, you can sometimes feel a little isolated, but we will now be able to enjoy at night out up or down dale without anyone having to take their cars."

The service has no funding from central Government and is entirely dependent on private finance and donations.

Further information is available on the website: http://upperwharfedalecic.com/packhorse