ARRIVA TOUR

Over recent years this tour of all five Arriva Yorkshire depots has raised increasing amounts for The Sick Children's Trust, a record of £758.59 being raised in 2011.

Arriva has been extremely generous, not only by letting us into the depots, but by providing a double-decker bus for the tour.

Every person taking part received a programme booklet containing very clear safety instructions, which were verbally repeated by the organisers on arrival at each depot. In spite of this, on the 2011 tour, a couple of people decided to disregard these instructions and were found in the pit underneath a bus that was being serviced in the workshop area at Dewsbury depot. When challenged by one of the engineering staff they told him to "f*** off".

Quite apart from the safety aspects of interfering with a bus that was being worked on, this attitude was totally unacceptable.

The organiser has agreed with Arriva that it is not worth taking such serious risks with safety, not only to the people on the tour, but to the passengers who would be travelling on buses that were in the workshops.

Sadly, we must announce that there will be no further tours of Arriva premises.

We would like to thank Arriva for all their help and support, and all those who have taken part and donated to such a worthwhile cause.

However, we would certainly not wish to thank the idiots who have spoilt things for bus enthusiasts all over the country, and the families of seriously-ill children who will no longer benefit from the proceeds of the Arriva Tour.