A FREE shuttle bus has been introduced to Portishead this week to help residents isolated by changes to bus routes.

Diversions set up because of the closure of High Street resulted in the suspension of bus services to part of Down Road and Avon Way, Combe Road and Slade Road.

Older residents complained the changes had made life difficult for them and made shopping impossible.

Both the Chamber of Trade and Councillor David Jolley took up the case and now North Somerset Council has confirmed the introduction of a free replacement bus service to be run by Blue Iris Coaches, towards which the Chamber of Commerce has made a financial contribution.

It runs via West Hill and Cabstand and will begin operating at 2pm today (Tues). It will run until Friday.

From Saturday, the northern section of the High Street beyond Combe Road will be re-opened, allowing services 357, 358, 359 and X25 to serve that area as normal.

The shuttles service departures, from near Co-op on Wyndham Way, will be at 15 and 45 minutes past the hour. Departures from Down Road will be on the hour and at half past the hour. The first departure from Down Road will be at 7.30am and the last departure from Co-Op at 6.15pm.

For more details call Blue Iris Coaches on 01275 851121.