PENSIONERS in Darlington have been told by a Government minister of one of the benefits of a regional assembly.

Hilary Benn, the secretary of state for international development, visited Darlington yesterday to show how an assembly could help pensioners and disabled people obtain concessionary bus passes.

Mr Benn was joined by pensioners at the bus stop in High Row as he explained the scheme.

He said: "One of the things they've done in Scotland and Wales, and one of the things the assembly can do is use the power in the assembly to get a bus pass across the region."

Mr Benn said he had been visiting towns across the North-East explaining the benefits of the assembly.