PEOPLE booking coach tickets from one of the region's travel centres know they are buying from the best in the North-East.

Which should not prove to be too much of a surprise considering that the boss has been doing the job for more than four decades and has passed on a wealth of experience to her team.

Now staff at the Arriva North-East Travel Office, at Middlesbrough bus station, have been named Regional Agent of the Year by coach company National Express.

Supervisor Josie Henery and her team deal with queries from all over the country, organising the documents, planning routes, and advising callers about offers on weekends away.

Mrs Henery, of Marske-by-the-Sea, east Cleveland, started with United Automobile Services in June 1960. She said: "It is a team effort and all of our seven staff have been here for a long time and know what they are doing.

"It is nice to be recognised for doing a good job so this is a lovely Christmas present come early."

Two years ago, they won the National Agent of the Year for Short Breaks and are hoping to win the overall National Agent of the Year at the final in March, before Mrs Henery retires in July.

She said: "We send people all over the place from this office and we haven't been stumped yet. If a coach goes to a destination, then we will try to get people where they want to go.

"This is a real boost for us so now we are going for gold to win the national award when we go to the final in Birmingham.

"Last time we managed to get a lift but if not, we will be going by National Express."