A VINTAGE bus used in TV's Heartbeat series celebrated its 60th birthday yesterday ahead of a heritage festival.

The 1942 ex-United double-decker will be one of the attractions at this year's Darlington Heritage Open Days Festival next month.

Having been completely restored, it is now used by the Newton Aycliffe Bus Preservation Society, in County Durham.

Darlington mayor Councillor Doris Jones was on hand in the town's Market Square yesterday to perform a birthday cake-cutting ceremony for the bus.

The festival, which is sponsored by Arriva North-East, takes place from Friday to Monday, August 20 to 23, and the bus will take a tour to Mowden Hall and Tees Cottage Pumping Station on the Saturday. Heartbeat's single-deck vintage bus will take tours to the Darlington and District Scouting Association Widdowfield Centre and Manor Farmhouse on the Sunday.

Arriva will also be providing service vehicles, free of charge, to take a tour to Walworth Castle Hotel and St Michael's Church, in Heighington.