OTLEY’S Town Mayor is inviting residents to back his school minibus appeal.

Councillor Peter Jackson announced plans to raise enough to buy a new minibus for the Otley ‘family of primary schools’ earlier this year.

Cllr Jackson needs to raise some £40,000 for the project and believes Otley’s townspeople have a key role to play in hitting that target.

He said: “During the past couple of months I have engaged with more than 200 prominent business leaders within our region. Unfortunately the response has been a bit lacklustre.

“I have spoken to many Otley residents about this project who conveyed their support. We have in Otley just over 14,000 residents, many of whom will have children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces attending one our primary schools.

“If each resident gave £3 - less than a pint of beer - we would provide our schools with a minibus. So I am reaching out to all residents to join me, stand up and say ‘we care about our children, we’ll give £3’.”

Donations can be made at Otley Town Council’s offices, Otley Core, on Orchard Gate.