POLICE say the number of school buses with potentially serious defects appears to be falling in County Durham.

A two-week operation checking buses across the county led to 11 out of the 192 vehicles inspected being ordered off the road immediately. This compares with the immediate prohibition of 20 of the 154 checked last year in a similar operation.

The most serious faults found during Operation Coachman included three buses with worn tyres, two with faulty brake lights and one with defective brakes.

The drivers of a further ten vehicles were given delayed prohibition notices. They have a fixed period of time to mend more minor faults. Last year's figure was 14.

Operation Coachman was carried out by Durham Police with Durham County Council's education department and the Vehicle Inspectorate.

It entailed stopping and checking vehicles near junior and senior schools at nine locations including Consett, Annfield Plain, Darlington, Spennymoor, Barnard Castle and Durham City.

The organisations say that the lower number of buses with faults is a 'very positive change' on last year.

PC Ian McGuinness, of the force's traffic branch, said: "It is pleasing to see the results show an apparent improvement in the standards of vehicles being used.

"This is what Coachman is all about and what all of us are aiming towards.''

Eileen Eliott, Durham County Council's school transport monitoring officer, said: "The number of vehicles ordered off the road immediately during this operation was cut by almost a half compared with last year.

"That's extremely good news especially since the number of vehicles checked went up by almost 25 per cent.

"That very positive change has been brought about by good partnership working by the county council, the police, the Vehicle Inspectorate, Darlington Council and district council taxi licensing departments.

"Vehicle monitoring, however, is not just a once-a-year event and the regular checks carried out by us throughout the year will continue to ensure that vehicles which meet acceptable standards are used to take children to school.''

Last year police said they were appalled after finding defects including fuel leaks and dangerous suspensions and Durham County Council warned it would strip operators of their contracts unless standards improved