The Hoppa bus will be free for Farnham and Haslemere shoppers from 9.30am to 2.30pm on weekdays from Monday, December 15 to Christmas Eve.

Residents can travel from home to their nearest high street – for instance, from Hale to central Farnham – by registering on hoppa.org.uk/register or 01428 681701.

Hoppa is run by Waverley Borough Council which is also offering a ‘Pay One, Stay Two’ scheme on Wednesdays, whereby anyone buying a one-hour parking ticket after 1pm can stay for a second hour for no charge.

Motorists can park for £1 from 1pm and 8pm in WBC car parks in Farnham from December 9 to January 1, and on December 11, Waverley’s Haslemere car parks will be free after 2pm.