THE Princess Royal made a guest appearance in York last night to launch the St John Ambulance Bricks and Wheels campaign to local businesses.

The campaign is being boosted by the latest Evening Press Life Savers appeal to raise £45,000 to buy a new ambulance for use in York and the surrounding area.

She attended the special launch at Bishopthorpe Palace - along with the chairman of the council for the Order of St John, Mark Evans, who is also the High Sheriff of North Yorkshire; the Lord Mayor of York, Councillor Irene Waudby; the Sheriff of York, Councillor Janet Greenwood, and the Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope.

Princess Anne, who is Commandant-in-Chief Ambulance and Nursing Cadets, inspected one of the new Crusader ambulances and reviewed a guard of honour of St John Ambulance Cadets and Badgers.

She said to the invited business guests: "This area does require the 'wheels' as well as the 'bricks' because the area is so big."

She appealed for support for the campaign and reiterated the importance of the work of St John volunteers.

The Bricks & Wheels Appeal was launched in the summer of 2000, with the aim to raise £840,000 to build a training centre and county headquarters and to provide nine of the new Crusader ambulances to replace the ageing ambulance fleet.

Already £500,000 has been raised, and the new training centre opened in March last year.

If you would like to join in the fundraising, email emma.harrison@ycp.co.uk or contact the Evening Press newsroom on 01904 653051 ext: 314.

Updated: 11:20 Wednesday, April 24, 2002