All National Express journeys will be suspended from Sunday “until further notice”, the company has said.

The coach travel firm has been running a reduced service in recent weeks in line with government guidance, with only essential travel allowed.

But managing director Chris Hardy has now announced that, after the weekend, all services will be temporarily suspended.

He said: “From 23.59 on Sunday, April 5, all of our coach services will be temporarily suspended until further notice.

“With immediate effect we are no longer selling coach tickets on our website or through any sales channels for journeys after this date.”

The company confirmed that anyone who wishes to amend their existing booking can do so for free for any travel time in the next 12 months.

Full refunds will also be available for affected passengers with pre-existing bookings.

Mr Hardy said: “It is clear that the critical thing we must all do is stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.

“Our drivers, customer service teams, customer contact centre and the wider National Express team have been working incredibly hard to keep our services running safely. I want to thank them for their efforts and will continue to do all I can to support everyone who works in our business at this challenging time.

“Please stay safe and well and, when the time is right, we look forward to welcoming you back on board.”

Meanwhile, Megabus coach services in England and Wales will be suspended by Sunday, owner Stagecoach has announced.

Services are “temporarily winding down” and will stop by the end of the week, the Perth-based transport group said.

Coaches will continue to operate within Scotland.

Passengers whose journeys have been cancelled will be refunded, Megabus told passengers.

Stagecoach chief executive Martin Griffiths said: “I am proud of the tremendous efforts and sacrifices of our people and the country’s healthcare workers during such a challenging and uncertain time.

“We are continuing to work hard to ensure Stagecoach comes through this difficult period well placed for the significant long-term opportunities that we still see for public transport.

“We would like to thank the respective governments and our local authority partners for their support through this very challenging period.”