An Ely bus service is being renamed after the company which runs it was bought out.

Norfolk Green launched the Absolutely bus service in February 2012 thanks to an £800,000 grant from supermarket giant Sainsbury’s

The six-day-a-week service links people on the outskirts of Ely with the city centre and the Sainsbury’s store, in Lisle Lane, as well as providing a stop at the Back Hill end of Broad Street.

But Norfolk Green has been bought out by multi-national travel firm Stagecoach and will be renamed, number 15.

Financial support for the service is set to run until February 2017.

In 2012/13, the annual number of journeys was 40,285 and in 2013/14 this rose to 50,807.

Councillor James Palmer, leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “The orbital bus service has proven to be extremely popular in Ely with lots of people using the bus to get to work, do their shopping or simply visiting their friends.

“With Stagecoach taking over the service from April, the bus will be renamed the number 15. We hope residents and visitors to Ely will continue to make great use of the bus for wherever in the city they wish to go.”

The new service will begin on Tuesday, April 7, with only a slight change to the route with the service stopping at the Tesco bus stop for anyone wishing to go to Ely railway station.