Uber has partnered with an Ipswich taxi company to bring its service to the town.

Passengers in Ipswich can now book a taxi via the Uber app, with Hawk Express Cabs fulfilling the rides.

This is part of the ride-hailing app's Local Cab product, which was successfully piloted earlier this year in four UK towns including Plymouth, Bedford, Exeter and Oxford.

It means that anyone opening the Uber app in Ipswich will be presented with the Local Cab option, linking them to Hawk Express.

Richard Morphew, managing director at Hawk Express Cabs, said: "We're proud to bring Local Cab to the people of Ipswich.

"This provides another way for customers to book with us - and for anyone visiting Ipswich that already uses the Uber app, Local Cab will make it easy for them to book a ride with a local operator.

"The partnership came at the perfect time; there has always been a big demand for Uber in Ipswich. Almost 10,000 residents and visitors open the Uber app in Ipswich every month, so we are excited to finally be able to fulfil this demand and help passengers get from A to B with greater ease.

"We chose to partner with Uber to give the town and its visitors a reliable way of travel with support from a big platform. And it gives our drivers the opportunity to fulfil more trips."

Uber is looking to work with local operators in order to meet growing demand for trips and extend its reach beyond the 40 UK towns and cities it currently serves.

Ash Kebriti, Uber’s UK general manager, said: "The Local Cab pilot has proved to be a success for local operators, riders and local economies.

"Local operators have seen increased demand for trips and are now actively recruiting new drivers, which is having a positive impact on the local economy.

"We are now excited to roll the product out to more towns and cities across the UK."