PASSENGERS have rated a bus service which takes visitors into the heart of the North York Moors as second to none.

In a recent survey, nine out of ten users of the national park authority's Moorsbus scheme said they were satisfied with the service. Tourism chiefs said they were delighted with the results - particularly passenger numbers remaining high, despite the impact of foot-and-mouth disease last year. The national park's tourism and transport officer, Bill Breakell, said: "This is good news but we're not going to rest on our laurels. Passengers on last year's services were asked for their opinions on a range of topics, from the cleanliness of the bus, to the friendliness of the driver."