A BUS company has been collecting Easter eggs for NHS staff to thank them for their hard work.

Employees for Arriva in Darlington have been collecting the chocolate eggs and gifts to donate to the staff at Darlington Memorial Hospital as a gesture of thanks for their work during the coronavirus pandemic.

Bus driver Dereck Roy King said the back of his car is currently full with kind donations from colleagues and members of the public for the NHS workers.

After being inspired by the nation-wide clap for the NHS which took place last Thursday, staff at Arriva wanted to do something to show their thanks and appreciation to local hospital workers on the front line.

“We decided to do something for them because we ferry them to and from work everyday and we see how exhausted they are right now dealing with everything,” Mr King said.

“They all work exceptionally hard all year round, but since the coronavirus pandemic this has been a especially testing time for them.

“We therefore wanted to give them a token of our appreciation, and do something positive amidst all the negativity in the world right now which can feel overwhelming.

“These people are on the front line - and they deserve to be recognised for saving our lives and risking their own safety in doing so.”

Among the mass of donations was several hand knitted ducks, each one stuffed with a bunch of chocolate eggs, and given to Mr King by a lady who was eager to express her thanks.

“It’s a incredibly thoughtful gesture,” he said.“The time and effort this lady must have put into creating these ducks.”

 “It’s brilliant, I was really touched when I saw them, and I’m sure the hospital staff will be too.”

The Arriva team are still looking for more donations and have asked people to leave chocolate eggs and gifts outside the Arriva Darlington Travel shop on Tubwell Row, Darlington.

From there, the team will safely transport them to the hospital for delivery.

“Safety at the moment is of key importance, so we ask that people leave the gifts outside to avoid human contact,” said Mr King.

“Everything is sanitised before we gift them to the hospitals, and we want to assure people that we are taking all the necessary safety precautions.

“We understand that we can’t take away the stress of our NHS workers - but we hope to at least bring a smile to their face, or make their day a little bit better.”