A Bury author has written a book which looks back on the town’s "pioneering" bus service.

David Barrow, 75, spent nine months researching the town’s public transport services for his new book, Bury Corporation Transport: 1925 – 1969, which tells the story of Bury’s publicly owned bus services.

The retired engineer has had a keen interest in the topic for more than four decades but decided to write the book after being approached by publisher, Amberley, which were looking for titles focusing on local history.

READ MORE: Bury MP Christian Wakeford reflects on leaving Tories to join Labour

David says that Bury buses hold a pioneering place in transport history, especially after the end of the Second World War, when the town’s operators became one of the first places to get new fleets following the war.

He said: “[The book] shows Bury how it used to be before the war and after the war and in the 1950s.

“After the war, people were still on war work and the government was in crisis.

“The country was nearly bankrupt but Bury managed to get some of the first that were built in 1946.”

David’s book also explains how Bury Corporation Transport was one of the first operators to make the switch from petrol to diesel fleets.

READ MORE: Bury College site to be used as hub to offer technology training

It charts the changes in bus services, both pre-and-post war, including how conductors were phased out with duties being handed over to the driver.

David said: “The thing about Bury is that they were pioneers.

“They looked at new routes and ways of increasing revenue because after the war, people started buying cars so when they bought cars they didn’t need to use the buses as often.

“So, Bury made a lot of sweeping changes."

David used the Bury reference library to research his book which features 180 photographs of the town's transport past.

READ MORE: Chris Clarkson calls for Northern Gateway to be thrown out of plan

He is also in the middle of writing a book about Volvo and has previously written about Scania, a manufacturer of heavy vehicles based in Sweden and the East Lancashire Coach Builders.

Bury Corporation Transport: 1925 to 1969 will be released on Wednesday, February 15 and will be available in Waterstones and WHSmith in Bury.