Thousands of over-60s whose bus passes expired yesterday have not received replacements allowing them free travel across Britain.

Bus companies in Sussex have told pensioners their expired passes will still be accepted on buses until the end of April.

Yesterday saw the start of the new national fares scheme which gives free travel on buses to the over-60s nationwide.

But eligible people living in Sussex have still not received their cards. Those who want to travel further afield will have to pay for journeys outside the county.

Peter Hall, from Brighton, said: "This is unacceptable. The council has had two years' notice to get its act together.

"I have to go to London and Yorkshire next week and intend to keep my tickets and claim my money from the council."

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said it was expecting all its customers to have their bus passes by the end of the week.

In Adur, 11,000 people are waiting for passes and 18,000 have not received them in Worthing.

Both Adur and Worthing councils have assured pensioners the passes are on their way and anyone who has not received their pass can continue to use their current one in Sussex from 9.30am on weekdays, while travel is unlimited at the weekend.

Rother District Council has also apologised and expects all of its 14,000 national passes to have been issued by the end of the week.

Euclid is producing 1.5 million of the bus passes, including those being issued in Sussex.

Managing director Geoff Neal said: "The production start date was at least six weeks later than we had planned. Euclid only received sign-off to produce passes on February 2, when it had planned to be in production before Christmas.

"Our team has consequently worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Sadly our subcontractors for the fulfilment exercise - matching passes to letters and inserting these into envelopes - was unable to perform in a like manner.

"If there is any blame to be taken for our overrun, which is five days, then this rests with me as I selected and approved our contractors. My team has performed beyond every reasonable call of duty.

"What we as a company have achieved in just under seven weeks is staggering. Almost 75 per cent of passes produced by Euclid arrived with their holders before April 1. Those still in process will have been mailed out by the weekend."