FOREST of Dean residents heading out to the region’s Christmas markets could be in for an unexpected festive freebie this year.

Great Western Railway has launched a competition offering two weeks of complimentary travel to five winners who are willing to complete their journeys wearing a branded Christmas jumper which doubles as a ticket.

The scheme runs from Thursday, December 5 to Thursday, December 19 and covers several of the South West’s most visited festive destinations including Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Cheltenham, Totnes and Truro.

With many Forest residents relying on trains for Christmas shopping and winter day trips, the offer could prove tempting during what is usually one of the most expensive travel periods of the year.

The jumpers feature a QR code that acts as a pass for return trips to twelve selected markets. GWR said the idea is aimed at encouraging more people to use rail services at a time when roads are busy and parking in cities such as Bath and Bristol becomes scarce.

Dan Panes, Head of External Communications at GWR, said the challenge is designed to add some cheer to seasonal travel. He said: "We're putting the fun back into festive travel. Five lucky winners will get the ultimate bragging rights, a Christmas jumper that's also a golden ticket to the UK's best markets. No parking stress, no traffic jams, just pure festive magic by rail."

To enter, people must follow GWR on Instagram, like the competition post and comment with their preferred markets. Winners will be picked at random and sent their jumper before the travel window begins. Each market can be visited once and the offer applies to the winner and a guest.

For those who do not win, GWR will also run a Black Friday sale offering discounts of up to 50 per cent on advance fares.