PLAXTON, the Scarborough firm whose payroll of 900 people consists of more than 100 employees from the York area will be part of a joint venture to form a single UK fighting force of bus and coach builders.

Its parent company, Henlys Group plc announced today that it has signed a joint venture agreement with Mayflower Corporation plc under whose wing includes the Dennis chassis company and Alexander bus builders of Glasgow and Belfast.

Should the deal be cleared by the Office of Fair Trading the joint group will operate as TransBus International Limited and will be the fourth biggest bus and coach builder in Europe.

The joint venture company will be owned 70 per cent by Mayflower Bus and Coach and 30 per cent by Henlys.

For the full story and what it means to Plaxton, see tomorrow's Evening Press.