ILKLEY'S MP John Grogan says he hopes 2017 will be the last year that Ilkley has no public transport on Boxing Day.

Speaking to the Ilkley Gazette he said: "In most of West Yorkshire a special Boxing Day bus service now runs from around 9am until 6pm. For example buses run directly from Otley through Menston and Guiseley into Leeds on the 33 route on December 26th.

"I have written to West Yorkshire Combined Authority asking them to run X84 Services from Ilkley to Leeds in 2018 pointing out that Ilkley is one of the largest towns in West Yorkshire which has no public transport for 60 hours from the evening of Christmas Eve until December 27th.

"This is particularly hard for people who are on their own over Christmas. Equally many people will want to visit the Boxing Day sales or sporting fixtures such as Bradford City v Peterborough United and Leeds Rhinos v Wakefield Wildcats.

"I also think that there should be some trains on Boxing Day. Under the terms of their franchise Northern Rail must provide a minimum of 60 services on December 26th 2018.This will be the first time that trains have run on Boxing Day in Yorkshire for many decades. I will start lobbying early in the New Year that some of these should be on the Wharfedale line."