A VOLUNTEER-run service for people with no access to transport has added a new vehicle to its fleet.

David Wood, the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, went along to unveil Wivey Link's converted Ford Transit in The Square, Wiveliscombe, on Tuesday, watched by passengers and volunteers.

Pauline Homeshaw, chairman of the Wiveliscombe Area Partnership, which runs Wivey Link, said: "This isn't just a new car, it's a big step along the way to our future."

She praised the many people who make the system work, not least Roy Barfield who has so hard to bring the new vehicle into service.

Wivey Link, with 600 registered passengers, offers transport to those who are isolated or unable to drive themselves.

Mrs Homeshaw paid tribute to the loyalty of Wivey Link passengers, among them Kath Cridland, who uses the service up to four times a week from her home three miles away in Milverton.

The new up-to-the-minute vehicle will carry seven passengers, or five including a wheelchair, and its extras include a swivel seat, automatic steps and a higher roof for ease of access for passengers.

Mr Wood said: "The Wiveliscombe Area Partnership offers Wivey Link, but also so much more through the community office, the town's hub, and they are to be congratulated."