EMERGENCY measures have been taken by a council to maintain a long-established bus route to a hospital after a bus company pulled out.

Abbey Coaches has announced it is to stop running the 751 or 151 route between Easington, Loftus, Skinningrove and East Cleveland Hospital at Brotton.

The company apparently received a number of complaints from passengers and Redcar and East Cleveland Council compiled a dossier of the grievances.

David Walsh, council leader, at one point threatened to report the company to a public transport watchdog, charging the firm with poor timekeeping, frequent breakdowns and old buses being used on the route.

He revealed that emergency action has been taken to tender the service and the route will be operated by Stockton bus company, Continental Coaches and Leisure Holidays Ltd from Monday, September 16.

Coun Walsh said: "I have long prophesised that Abbey Coaches would not operate this route commercially and would have to pull out causing the council to intervene. Now this has come to pass.

"In many ways this is very good news indeed for East Cleveland bus users as the new operator will be running to a timetable specified by the council, which will mean extra buses on the route.

"The new operator has a modern coaching stock and will, I am sure, operate a first class service."

He added: "I have asked council officers to make sure that leaflets giving the new timetables are distributed to shops and council outlets as well as to East Cleveland Hospital."

Coun Walsh added that Abbey Coaches had pre-empted council tendering procedures by registering the route as a commercial undertaking.

Fred Wren, owner of Abbey Coaches which is based at Carlin How, this week declined to comment.