A new free-of-charge bus service taking passengers across one of Kent’s busiest seaside towns is to launch next month.

The ‘Reach the Beach’ scheme will begin in Folkestone on July 20 and last throughout the summer holidays until September 1.

Run by operator Crosskeys, the seven-days-a-week service will bring visitors to and from six destinations across the town.

Buses will leave Folkestone West railway station half-hourly from 10am, with the last bus returning from Folkestone Harbour at 7.45pm.

People can also ‘hop on’ and ‘hop off’ to visit Folkestone’s F51 Skate Park, Old High Street, Folkestone Central railway station and Shellons Street throughout the day.

The route, which will take a maximum of 10 minutes, will not run between 1pm and 2pm each day.

Crosskeys’ managing director Alan Johnson believes the scheme, also called Service 51, will bring a number of benefits.

“We are very pleased to be providing this service in Folkestone during the summer,” he said.

“It will have the benefit of bringing visitors and residents into the town centre, boosting our local businesses whilst helping ease congestion.

“The additional benefit of the service is the environmental one, by providing a seamless journey between train and bus.

“Also, being free, this is a great opportunity to demonstrate the value of the bus and joined up public transport.”

About £25,000 of funding from the government’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) allocation to Kent County Council (KCC) will be used to pay for the scheme.

A spokesman for the authority said: "The funding provided under BSIP to KCC is designed to improve the bus offering, not just maintain it.

“When KCC was approached by Crosskeys to operate a summer-only across Folkestone service, linking rail stations and attractions, KCC saw this as an ideal use of BSIP funding.

“The service is designed to attract visitors and residents and will provide a link that is currently not there.

"We have also taken the decision to make the service free of charge.

“This will make the service an even more attractive alternative to the car to get to and from Folkestone’s top attractions."