War hero Henry Allingham is to become the first living person to be honoured on a Brighton bus.

The Argus is campaigning for the 112-year-old First World War veteran to be officially recognised by the British government and the call has been repeated in Parliament by Lewes MP Norman Baker.

Now Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Company has decided to honour him on a double decker.

The bus company, which is known for naming its buses after people who have contributed to Sussex life, is making an exception for the centurion.

Today Mr Allingham has been granted the honour of being the first living person to have one of the iconic vehicles named after them.

Mr Allingham has lived for twice as long as some some of the people whose names have previously been spelt out on the front of our buses.

Roger French, the managing director of the bus firm, said he hoped the move would act as a worthy day-to-day reminder of the work Mr Allingham has done to expose the horrors of war.

Mr French said: "We wanted to make an exception to the rule for Henry.

"Usually we name our buses after people who are dead but he's been a part of Sussex life for so long we felt it was fitting.

"Henry came out to see the bus and he was laughing and joking, making the noise of the bus horn and remembering the good old days – he's such a great man, we're very proud to have met him.

"The bus we've chosen is a double decker sight-seeing bus so all the visitors who come to Sussex from elsewhere might learn about who Henry is."

So far the bus company, which runs transport across the county, has named over 200 buses.

Those deemed worthy of the honour include King Edward VII, author Virginia Woolf and Rottingdean-based poet Rudyard Kipling.