Come on board! Residents celebrate the return of their bus.

Byline: By SANDY McKENZIE

CHAMPAGNE and cake helped residents in Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, celebrate the return of the bus service along Oxford Road.

A two-year campaign has been run by Renee Phillips, 82, to get the service back.

Arriva re-introduced the service this week and the residents turned out to welcome the return of the buses down Oxford Road.

Mrs Phillips said it was important for the area to get the service back.

"We have worked for two years for this. It is important for both the young and the elderly people in the area.

"Everyone is so pleased the bus service is back," said Mrs Phillips, who organised a petition, lobbied Middlesbrough's mayor Ray Mallon, and contacted Arriva as part of her campaign.

"We had to fight otherwise we would not have got this far," she said.

Local councillor Jackie Elder, who backed the campaign, baked a cake and opened a bottle of champagne to help celebrate the return of the bus service.

She said: "I am absolutely delighted the bus is back.

"It is very important people use the service. If they don't use it they will lose it again."

Mark Ellis, Arriva's commercial manager, said: "I had a conversation with Cllr Elder and she explained about Mrs Phillips' campaign. We decided to have another look at the situation and we thought we would give it another try.

"One lady - Mrs Phillips - has battled for two years and we are delighted to make her happy and re-introduce the service for people in the area. Hopefully people will use it," he said.

The 17B service will operate at half hourly intervals during the day, Monday to Saturday, along Oxford Road and into the town centre.

CAPTION(S):

RIDING HIGH: Front row from left, Mark Ellis, commercial manager for Arriva, Ida West, Renee Phillips, Cllr Jackie Elder and Martin Shire, area manager for Arriva, with delighted residents Picture by PETER BENN