A bus service has been saved following protests from passengers who would have been stranded.

Connex, which last year lost the contract to operate the main routes to the Sussex coast, had planned to stop running the Railbus link between Lewes and Uckfield on January 26.

It introduced the bus service as Connex Bus 60 in the hope it would rekindle travel between the two towns, which lost their rail link in 1969.

Connex announced last year it was withdrawing the bus link after 18 months because not enough passengers were using it.

The ending of the service would have forced people in Lewes and Uckfield to pay for taxis if they wanted to travel to Ringmer or villages between the two towns.

Students and evening workers in particular had protested at the severing of the link.

But now South Central, which won the rail contract from Connex, has teamed up with East Sussex County Council to enable bus operator Stagecoach to run an evening service.

Stagecoach will revise its number 28 night service to link the two towns.

This will maintain a public transport link between Lewes, Ringmer and Uckfield.

Valid rail tickets to Lewes and Uckfield will be accepted on the buses.

The daytime number 60 route is not being replaced but there are alternative buses available.

John Oliver, South Central's business development manager, said: "We are pleased to be able to work with the council to help preserve this local service."