A new managing director for travel firm Stagecoach's Cumbria and North Lancashire operations has been announced.

The firm has had a shake-up of its operational structure, which will see current Cumbrian MD Mark Whitelocks move to head up the bus business in the Midlands.

Rob Jones will move from Merseyside and South Lancashire to lead in Cumbria and North Lancashire.

The change will come into effect from February 3 and the firm said it was part of Stagecoach’s ongoing business change programme, to make sure the company is "fit for the future".

The Stagecoach North region is now being led by regional director Catherine Acton-Brazier, who joined in November.

She said: “Since joining Stagecoach in November, I have been delighted to see the wealth of talent within the business. It’s clear there is a strong focus on delivering the best service for customers, and I want us to continue to be in the best position to embrace all the new opportunities ahead.

“These changes will enable a number of our managing directors to gain experience of different areas of our business and provides the opportunity to have a fresh look at our operations in the north to support our strategy for the future."

Mr Jones became managing director of Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire in December 2016.

He began his career in the bus industry aged 15 as a cleaner with a local bus company. He gained his PCV licence and since then, has held a number of management positions including operations manager and operations director.

Mr Whitelocks has been the managing director of Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire since May 2018.

He joined Stagecoach through the company’s graduate development programme and has previously held managerial positions across the firm nationally, before he was appointed as MD for North Scotland in 2016.