AN app-based travel service is being launched in Durham today.

American private hire company Uber, which operates using an app which allows people to book drivers using their mobile phones, will be available in the city from 4pm today.

Neil McGonigle, Uber’s general manager for Durham, said:“We’re very excited to be launching the app in Durham. In the last six months, people in the city have opened the app more than 100,000 times in anticipation.

“Starting today, you can use the Uber app to get from A to B at the touch of a button.

“Our launch also means that locally licensed drivers can now benefit from the flexibility of the Uber app - becoming their own boss and choosing when they want to drive.”

The company, which last month was controversially refused a new licence to operate in London because of concerns about public safety and security, is available in more than 40 towns and cities in the UK.

In order to use the Uber app in the UK, drivers must be licensed for private hire and complete the required DBS background checks.