A COUPLE are looking to transform gaming experiences for children with their revolutionary double decker bus.

Phill Simpson and his partner Lauren Key have created Battle Bus, a mobile gaming centre that will be packed with consoles, TVs and cinema gaming rooms.

The bus will be available for after school clubs, parties, weddings and other celebrations, and will give youngsters the chance to play games online completely safe, whilst socialising with their friends, rather than staying in their bedrooms.

Mr Simpson, 36, came up with the idea after trying to find a way his own children could be more social, whilst still playing on their consoles.

“They have plenty of friends, but a lot of the games you can buy are just for one player, or four if they are online,” he said.

“They were becoming socially inactive, so we got another TV and a Xbox and invited friends round, and it just went from there.

“I thought there was nowhere for kids to go and play together, so I came up with the idea. We bought the bus and I converted it with my dad.”

The top floor of the bus will be for Xbox and the bottom floor for PlayStation, whilst both levels will include cinema gaming rooms and internet access, which will allow the kids to play against others online, but not receive messages.

Mr Simpson has worked with a range of North-East businesses to get the project underway, and Mowden School and Hummersknott Academy have both already expressed an interest in using the bus for their after school clubs.

“The games will be free games because we don’t want any extra costs for parents and kids coming home saying they want a new £40 game,” he said.

“When parents organise parties, they want to be able to enjoy the occasion, not be worried about all the organisation. With us, we sort out the whole package.”

Mr Simpson is also in talks with universities and colleges, and is looking to work with Darlington College to help design games with autistic children.

“It is a great social environment and allows children to do exactly what they want to do.”

The bus will hold 32 people and will be launched at The Model T 2018 Party on Fulthorpe Avenue on Sunday.

For more information, search Battle Bus Ltd on Facebook.