Plans to make 3,000 hydrogen buses and create more than 1,000 new jobs have been unveiled by the heir of manufacturing giant JCB.

A pair of Jo Bamford's companies, Ryse Hydrogen and Wrightbus, have revealed the proposals for the busses which could be in operation by 2024.

Under the plans, manufacturing would take place at Wrightbus’s factory in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, while five new zero-emission hydrogen production plants would be created in "disadvantaged" coastal parts of the UK.

The proposals would also have the potential to create 1,000 new UK jobs at Wrightbus and 150 at Ryse Hydrogen and its supply chain.

The busses would be deployed to areas such as Aberdeen, London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Brighton, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Belfast.

Bamford said: "Cities around the world are seeing massive reductions in air pollution as many vehicles have been kept off the road during the pandemic.

"However, the reality is that if we just go back to how public transport has traditionally been run, levels of pollution will quickly rise again to the same levels as before the crisis.

"We have an opportunity with hydrogen powered transport to make a huge difference to air quality, and for UK jobs as well.

"With increased orders on this scale I could increase the workforce at Wrightbus by nearly 700 per cent.

"UK-made hydrogen buses are ready to hit the streets today. We already have hydrogen buses in London, and 20 of Wrightbus’ world-leading double deckers will be added to this later this year.

"We also have orders from Aberdeen, with many other areas becoming interested in our technology - in the UK and across the world."