Bus passengers face yet more disruption as Unite union members step up their industrial action.

Arriva bus drivers, who had already announced a one-day strike this Friday30, have now added four more strike days in Kent.

They will be on Thursday and Friday, October 6 and 7, and on Monday and Tuesday, October 10 and 11.

The action will be taken by 600 bus drivers at depots in Northfleet, Gillingham, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells and will affect services across the county.

Other bus companies are not affected.

The bus drivers are demanding a 12.3% pay rise, in line with inflation.

Unite members in other regions of the country have also been on strike for higher pay rises, but in one area, drivers in Hertfordshire have recently returned to work after accepting a pay deal of 11.15% increase, while drivers in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire have also called off a strike scheduled for this Friday after accepting a 10.3% pay offer.

Arriva had previously offered them 6%.

All the wage deals are conducted on a regional basis.

Arriva said it "remained committed" to resolving the industrial action in Kent.

A spokesman said: "We continue to encourage the Unite trade union to ballot on our latest pay offer.

"We will keep our customers and stakeholders updated and apologise for the inconvenience this will cause across the region."

The company would not reveal what its most recent offer was.

Kent drivers have already held a one-day strike on Monday, September 5, but called off two strikes scheduled for September 16 and 20, as a mark of respect following the death of the Queen.