The pay row which threatens to send hundreds of Brighton and Hove bus drivers on strike is to continue after union members voted against a new offer from company bosses.

In a fresh ballot, members of the Unite Transport and General Workers' Union (T&G), which represents drivers, voted 316 against and 203 for.

Dave Weeks, regional industrial organiser with the T&G, said: "It looks like we are back to where we were and are looking to resume talks with the company.

"We are having a meeting on Monday with the union stewards to decide what we are going to do."

Mr Weeks stressed that before any decision to strike is made this week the union will continue to talk to try and resolve the row.

The new vote follows the rejection of a long-standing pay offer from the Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Company.

A fortnight ago bus drivers rejected a pay increase from the company ranging between a 4% and 8% increase, depending on drivers' length of service.

After the result of the original vote was known, company boss Roger French and union officials sat down to thrash out a new deal, which was the subject of the most recent ballot.

The new offer on the table from the transport firm differed from the original in that bosses were willing to implement the pay rise over a single year instead of two.

According to union officials, the company has also agreed to work towards achieving a single rate of pay structure.

Mr Weeks said: "The main part of the dispute revolved around pay structures as drivers have got different rates of pay for different lengths of service.

"They should give our members a single pay rate and they've committed to that in principle but have said it's not affordable this year.

"We need to find something in-between."

He added: "We are half-way there."

Under law the union has to strike within 28 days of the original ballot although this has now been extended in light of the recent vote.

The first ballot, held a fortnight ago, saw 65% of voting drivers reject the initial offer.

If no deal is reached between the union and the company, then members will decide whether to stage a 24 or 48 hour walkout.

Roger French, the managing director of Brighton and Hove buses, said the company would do as much as it can to stop a strike from taking place by continuing to talk to the T&G.

He said: "We will be seeking to find a way to resolve the differences."

In a separate ballot three weeks ago 150 drivers represented by rival union the GMB, accepted the same pay offer, which included promises from the company to review its disciplinary and sickness procedures.