FIRST Southern National buses will not operate on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year's Day, the company announced this week.

Sunday services will be running on bank holidays Monday and Tuesday, December 27 and 28, on New Year's Eve and on Monday January 3.

The usual Wednesday and Thursday services will operate on December 29 and 30, and normal services will resume on Tuesday January 4.

On New Year's Eve, the last bus from Minehead to Taunton will be the 4.45pm from Butlins and the last journey from Taunton to Minehead will leave Musgrove Park Hospital at 5.25pm.

Service 915 will leave Minehead at 3.45pm and 5.45pm, terminating at Bridgwater at 5.10pm and 7.10pm.

Buses between Taunton and Wiveliscombe will leave Musgrove Park Hospital at 6.02pm and Langley Corner, Wivey, at 4.42pm.

l Several of Southern National's longer bus routes are being split into two or three differently numbered routes from Sunday.

Among them is the 915 service, which will become the 927 between Minehead and Watchet, the 915 between Watchet and Bridgwater, and the 916 between Bridgwater and Othery.

The company said through fares would be maintained and guaranteed connections meant that end-to-end journeys would still be possible.