A PENSIONER helped launch an extended bus service linking Derwentside towns.

Esh Parish Council member Doreen Cummings, 82, launched the 767 service this week.

The service, which runs between Stanley and Consett, was introduced last year as a six-month pilot.

It was so successful that Durham County Council funded its extension over the winter.

Now, Esh Parish Council, which has recently carried out a transport needs consultation, has secured a grant to enable a new route to be added in Langley Park, via Eastern Avenue, East Clere and Esh Village, and an extra journey added on Thursdays and Fridays.

The improvement will mean more people in Langley Park will benefit from the service.

An accessible 14-seat bus was bought for the service, which operates Mondays to Saturdays.

A number of community groups, including South Derwentside Partnership, identified a need for improved access to services from parts of Derwentside.

The 767 service, operated by Stanley Buses, under contract to the county council, is the only direct link between Langley Park and Consett.

It calls at villages including Burnhope and The Haven, at Langley Park, where the service is used by a large number of older people, and Lanchester