Community campaigner Will Thompson has launched a £15,000 crowdfunding campaign to improve bus services for disadvantaged people in Liverpool.

Kirkdale resident Mr Thompson says the current transport network is inadequate as it does not cater to everyone fairly.

He identifies a lack of services between the north and south of the city, meaning that a large number of socially excluded residents are unable to access NHS appointments, and employment opportunities and even simply socialise.

Mr Thompson previously helped run a successful recycling social enterprise.

He first started planning his alternative bus service four years ago but was unable to persuade transport authority Merseytravel to back it.

Now he wants the Liverpool public to back his ‘Buy a Wee Bit of Bus’ project and is looking to raise an initial £15,000 to get it off the ground.

Its stated aim is to “provide transport for those who cannot access existing forms of transport provisions for reasons of ill health, isolation, disability, poverty or social exclusion”.

Mr Thompson told ECHO Business he is committed to “delivering the type of service which the people want”.

He added: “We are trying to provide a service to the community and implement passenger services. Social funding is drying up, and Merseytravel is no longer able to serve the people as well as it could.”

Buy a Wee Bit of Bus,’ is live on popular social funding site Crowdfunder.co.uk, which allows users to safely donate money to causes of their choice, for the next 46 days.