Bus drivers on Tyneside have called off two days of strike action.

At the end of last month, around 750 members of the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) voted in favour of one-day strikes on 10 and 17 September.

Three depots in the region - Slatyford and Walkergate in Newcastle and South Shields would have been affected.

But now, following talks between bus operator Stagecoach and the union, they have come to an agreement involving a sick pay scheme.

TGWU regional industrial organiser Brian Anderson said: "At the end of the day the deal didn't change that much, but the important thing was one of the strings to the deal was removed.

"That all we were saying all along, if we could get some of the strings removed from the deal."

He added: "It was never about the money in fairness. We have managed to do that through five hours of negotiation and we have put it to ballot and the members have accepted."

Members of the general workers' union, the GMB, working at the Sunderland depot had already voted to accept the pay offer.

Stagecoach operations director Graham Brown said he was pleased the issue had been resolved before the strike action was held.

He said: "We had discussions with the union last Friday and reached an amicable agreement which went to the ballot and they have accepted the revised offer.

"There were concerns that the sick pay scheme that we wanted eroded their current scheme, but the revised offer has been accepted."