A bus company has honoured the fallen by covering one of its double deckers in a poppy wrap.

It is in the run-up to the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, on November 11.

Stagecoach has done this to support the Royal British Legion.

It is also offering free bus travel to Armed Forces personnel carrying ID, and veterans wearing the veterans' badge, on Remembrance Sunday.

Kent's first Poppy Bus will be used on routes serving Dover, Deal, Sandwich and Canterbury.

Veterans and RBL members gathered at Canterbury Bus Station for the launch of the vehicle, which also marked the Legion's official launch of the Poppy Appeal.

Also there was Sir Julian Brazier, the former Canterbury MP and an ex-Territorial Army soldier.

The design was the brainchild of Stagecoach assistant operations manager Ian Loftus.

He served as a Sergeant in the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, is also an RBL member at Dover.

Joanne Howe, Stagecoach operations director for the South East said “We're delighted to support the RBL and the Poppy Appeal.

We hope that the Poppy Bus will be a visible reminder of the RBL's all-year-round work and pays a fitting tribute to our veterans and Armed Forces community.

“Through our support we hope we can send a clear message to our Armed Forces communities in the South East that we appreciate and recognise the commitment they have made to our country over the years."

Jane Ayers, community fundraiser for the RBL, said: “We are so pleased that Stagecoach has chosen to support us in this way, this centenary year.

" We are calling on the nation to say thank you to the First World War generation.

"That is not just the British Armed Forces, but those who fought alongside them from today’s Commonwealth and the countless men, women and children who played their part on the home front.

"The Poppy Bus is a great way to remind people of why it is important to remember that everyone has a connection to the First World War."