First Essex has announced its timetables for Chelmsford, Brentwood, Braintree and Maldon over the Christmas and New Year period.

Nikki Allder, General Manager of First Essex, said: “We are pleased to offer a number of services over the Christmas and New Year period so people can visit family and friends and enjoy the holidays.

"We hope that people will take the opportunity to travel by bus over the festive period."

The services over Christmas and New Year are: December 22 and 23: Normal service Christmas Eve: Normal service except the X30 which will terminate earlier.

Christmas Day: No service.

Boxing Day: No service except X30. The first journey from Southend will be at 0400. The first journey from Stansted Airport will be at 0600, then as per the normal daily X30 timetable.

December 27: Normal service.

December 28 Normal Sunday service.

December 29 to December 21: Normal Saturday service with the following exceptions: Service 100 will see an additional journey which departs Basildon for Chelmsford at 0610, 0732 Mayflower School to Lakeside will start from Chelmsford at 0706.

Essex County Council supported Services 14, 15 and 15A (Wickford to Chelmsford), 46 (Ongar to Chelmsford) and 73 (Maldon to Chelmsford) - will operate to a normal weekday timetable Chelmsford Park and Ride services will operate to a Saturday timetable.

December 31: X30 services will terminate earlier than usual.

New Year’s Day - No Service, except the X30 will operate to a normal timetable January 2 - Normal Saturday Service with the same exceptions as Monday 29 December.

January 3 - Normal Saturday Service

For full details of the Christmas and New Year timetables are available from firstgroup.com/ukbus/essex