A BUS and coach company based near Wellington is changing hands after many years.

Cooks Coaches, on Greenham Business Park is being taken over by the transport giant Stagecoach.

Cooks runs a fleet of over 50 coaches and buses from four sites at Wellington, Honiton, Chard and Exeter, as well as many bus services and school contracts for Devon, Somerset and Dorset County Councils.

Steve Stewart of Stagecoach said the company would continue to be run locally, and would have the ability to expand.