THE price of discounted Sunday bus travel in Essex has increased by more than 40 per cent.

A Sunday Saver ticket has risen from £2.80 to £4 for adults this month.

The all-day ticket allows unlimited travel on the majority of bus services across the county.

Child prices will also increase from £1.50 to £2, while a family ticket, previously £8, will now cost £10.

Essex County Council said the rise was due to an increased demand for travel on Sundays.

It first introduced the saver ticket in 1999, a time when bus usage on Sunday was in decline.

A council report said: “The extension of shop opening hours and changing work and leisure patterns have led to Sundays becoming more like other days of the week and demand for bus journeys rising.”