A COUNCIL leader who has been inundated with complaints about a bus company is to report it to a Government-appointed watchdog.

Councillor David Walsh, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, is compiling a dossier of protests about Abbey Coaches, which runs the 751 service linking Easington, Loftus and the East Cleveland Hospital at Brotton.

However, the wife of the company owner said no complaints had been received.

The complaints will shortly be passed to the Traffic Commissioners, the UK's bus watchdog, in a bid to force the company to improve its service.

Passengers claim the 751 is regularly late and that vehicles often break down, leaving them waiting for hours at bus shelters or missing hospital appointments.

The service used to be run by Arriva, but it was undercut by Abbey Coaches, of Carlin How, when the contract came up for renewal earlier this year.

Coun Walsh said: "We never had any problems when the service was operated by Arriva. Since it was taken over, there have been many complaints made to me about the standard of the buses, unreliable running and frequent breakdowns.

"This route serves some isolated estates in Easington and Loftus and carries many elderly people, people who would be isolated without it. This is why it is imperative that this route is operated properly."

Councillor Gordon Davis, mayor of Loftus and treasurer of Easington Residents' Associations, said he had also been besieged with complaints, mainly from elderly users.

He said: "I feel sorry for the elderly passengers more than anything. They just don't know whether it is going to turn up or not. I see them standing about waiting.

"The buses are forever breaking down and aren't kept very clean."

Fred Wren, who owns Abbey Coaches, was unavailable for comment.

His wife, Wendy, said: "It has broken down a couple of times, mainly due to overheating in the hot weather we've been having.

"But as far as I know we haven't had any complaints at all, from passengers or the council."