A bright purple converted London bus is set to take high-tech training to the streets of Hastings.

The Routemaster bus was delivered to the Sussex branch of the National Association for Care and Resettlement of Offenders (NACRO) last week.

It will be filled with computers and used for IT courses, literacy and numeracy tuition.

The bus will communicate with the world wide web via a satellite dish on top of the bus.

The pioneering scheme is a Pathfinder project handpicked by the Department of Education and Employment's (DfEE) Information and Communications Technology Learning Centre.

The DfEE has funded the £100,000 project with support from BT.

Nicky Jeffrey, NACRO youth training centre manager, said: "Rather than have a centre where people came to us, we decided to go to them.

"We have wanted to work in Hastings for ages but the wards we wanted to work in were spread out."

Regional manager Ellen Cuerva said: "This went beyond our first idea of a few laptops in the back of a van.

"Anybody with literacy or numeracy difficulties will be able to use the bus, as well as ex-offenders."

Students will be able to study for City & Guilds and RSA qualifications using the bus facilities.

Six desktop computers and a server will be available on the upper deck of the bus with six laptops on the lower floor of the bus or in local community centres.

The server computer will be linked by satellite to allow computers on-board internet access.

Frequently accessed pages will be stored on this server.

The computers will be networked using low-frequency radio links and powered by a generator on board the bus.

The bus is expected to be ready for use by mid-August.