MYSTERY surrounds the fate of a North-East coach company after customers including Middlesbrough Football Club and a local authority said they were being forced to make alternative transport arrangements.

Nobody from Tees Valley Coach Travel was today (Sunday, December 23) available for comment on the company's situation.

 

However, a statement posted on its website said it had been having problems with its phone lines and emails because of a move to new premises.

It went on to say: “We are committed to providing a service and despite what rumours are circulating we are still very much able to continue. All service buses are running as normal so please don’t worry.”

The company, described on its website as Middlesbrough FC’s “only official travel partner” was contracted to transport the team’s players to away matches and also provided transport for the official supporters’ club. 

The club has now confirmed that it will be making other transport arrangements.

A spokesman for Middlesbrough FC said: “We became aware that the company is facing financial difficulties and to safeguard the travel arrangements of both the club and our supporters we decided to put in place alternative transport provision.”

Stockton Borough Council, which used the company to transport pupils to the town’s Ian Ramsey school, confirmed that it has also put alternative plans in place.

By Friday, several of the routes operated by the company across Teesside had ceased, including the 24 service between Middlesbrough and Guisborough and the 87/87A/87B route from Billingham to Longnewton, which is now being operated by Tees Valley Stagecarriage.

A statement on the Connect Tees Valley website, which operates on behalf of several local authorities, said that all services operated by Tees Valley Coach Travel would cease as of Friday December 21.