Believe all you want. It will be a reason - along with the fact Newcastle received constant investment from 2003 until 2011 while Hartlepool, Stockton, South Shields and Sunderland had investment spread over the years (in fact, the only year all 5 locations received new buses was 2004 - 11 years ago!) with large gaps (Hartlepool gain investment 2004/8 (the 2004 vehicles were part of the Kick-Start funded program) and had nothing since (7 years ago!), Stockton 2004 (all 7 vehicles funded from various pots) 2009, 2014 and 2015 (the first time in 20 years the depot has had 2 years of investment and only one of those was Stagecoach and they were diverted from elsewhere), Sunderland was 2004, 2006, 2009, 2013 and 2014, South Shields 2004 2006 2009 2011 2014 and 2015).

Also, the routes at South Shields and Teesside that require deckers could justify new ones not mid-lie cast-offs thank you. As for Sunderland getting new stock, there's only so long you can carry on sending Newcastle's second-hand vehicles to other depots. The only second-hand deckers