Men over 60 are to get cut-price bus travel in Sussex from tomorrow - provided they hop on a bus after 9am.

Men and women bus users in the county have been given an extra half hour for the cheaper fares as the concession in other parts of England starts at 9.30 am.

The move has come at a price - women over 60 in Sussex will now also have to abide by the 9am rule.

In the past, men had to wait until they were 65 to qualify but from tomorrow, men aged 60 to 64 will be able to get a bus pass and 50 per cent off fares.

Roger French, managing director of Brighton and Hove Buses, said: "We could not afford to continue the no-time restricted, cut-price fares for female pensioners with the men joining the scheme as well.

"But there has been a concession for the people in Sussex in that Brighton and Hove City Council and district councils, which are part of the scheme, have agreed to subsidise the fare from 9am.

"The Government legislation says the concessionary fares should start after 9.30am and this extra half-hour concession is good news for travellers."

It is estimated that more than a million men in England will now benefit from the concessionary fares.

Local authorities will share a £50 million cash pot to help them meet the cost.

Transport Minister John Spellar said: "This is very good news for a great number of older men. Bus services are a vital means of linking communities and tackling the problem of social exclusion."