IRATE passengers in Hurworth are desperate for answers over a hit and miss bus service.

Regular users of the number 74 Arriva route from Darlington to Hurworth claim the service is always unreliable and that drivers are rude when pressed for explanations.

Some have implied that Arriva singles out the half-hourly service when it needs to remove a bus from operation.

All say they get nowhere from complaining. But Arriva denied singling out Hurworth and said it was investigating complaints of bad time-keeping.

Mr Ray Smith and his wife, Marion, who live in the village, use the service often. Three weeks ago they wrote to Arriva about two late buses in January which left a long queue of angry passengers.

When the buses finally came drivers gave no explanations.

Mr Smith told the D&S Times: "This has been going on for many years. I first wrote and complained in 1997, and the service is still bad even though the bus company has changed.

"Many people use the service and they are all frustrated by it. The least the drivers could do is tell you why they are late and if they can't then they should apologise."

Mr Smith sent a copy of his complaint to the parish council which discussed the issue on Tuesday.

Coun Meg Naylor, a regular user of the 74 service, agreed the service was unreliable. She said: "The half-hourly service is great for us - when it comes. But if a bus is missing, you can always bet it will be the Hurworth bus.

"Sometimes I get the number 72 bus from Northallerton which runs every two hours and is always on time. If it can make it, then why can't the number 74 get there on time?"

Mrs Smith is livid about the attitude of some drivers. She said: "They are downright rude when you ask them why they are late. They either don't speak at all or they just shrug their shoulders. One driver recently just pressed his face up close to mine and said "traffic".

Mr Mike Barber, Arriva commercial manager, said: "Drivers are going through customer care training and all are briefed to keep customers informed.

"On January 24, the bus was held up after an accident in Darlington and the ticket machine needed to be changed after it broke down. On January 19, heavy traffic was to blame.

"We are happy to come and discuss the service at the parish meeting and if there is a problem we need to resolve it."

Any complaints about the service should be put in writing to Mr Mike Barber, commercial manager, Arriva North- East, Boathouse Lane, Stockton.

l See picture and parish council round-up: page 12