A SURPLUS ambulance has been refurbished and donated to charity.

The K-registration vehicle was presented to St John Ambulance Service by the North-East Ambulance Service (NEAS) NHS Trust.

The hand-over took place in St John headquarters at Wingate, County Durham.

Geoff Craik, fleet manager for the NEAS said: "It is very important that we work together with our colleagues from St John Ambulance.

"It is very rewarding to know that the ambulance will be well used."

Len O'Donnell, county councillor for Wingate, who helped organise the donation of the ambulance, said he wanted to thank everyone involved.

"This is evidence of how the public, private and voluntary sectors can work together for the benefit of the communities we serve," he said.