Public transport will be emblazoned with the branding of a former regional newspaper’s digital-only successor as part of a marketing campaign.

Parent company Trinity Mirror says the move aims to “cement” GetReading’s position as the town’s “number one source for local news and sport” following the closure of the Reading Post in December.

The campaign will see GetReading branding adorn local taxis as well as the Reading Buses fleet, while branded travelcards will also be handed out in the town centre.

It comes as newly-released ABCe figures show GetReading had 760,156 unique users in March, an 84pc year-on-year rise.

The adverts on the buses and taxis will feature an “I spy” type competition, including an obscured picture of a local landmark, pictured above.

Readers can then tweet GetReading with what they think the landmark is to be in with the chance of winning prizes, including shopping vouchers and tickets to local events.

GetReading will also sponsor WiFi on some of the buses, with passengers being directed straight to its website once they log in.

The latest ABCe figures show GetReading had an average of 42,610 daily average users in March, a 16pc month-on-month rise.

Ed Walker, GetReading publisher, said: “We’ve seen our audience grow rapidly in the last few months but we know there are still plenty of people in Reading who haven’t joined the tens of thousands getting their news fix every day with us.

“Our partnership with Reading buses enables GetReading to engage with new audiences, introducing more people to our cross-platform offering.”