FOUR Widnes residents had a chance meeting with a well known figure from the town's bygone days after their coach broke down in the sunny seaside town of Dawlish on the south coast of England.

By a pure twist of fate a replacement coach which came to rescue the stranded tourists was being driven by a former mayor of Halton - now a millionaire businessman running his own coach company in Devon.

John Weaver, who was an Appleton ward councillor and mayor from 1992-1993, left the Widnes tourists flabbergasted as they realised who he was.

It turned out that the four ladies who recognised him had lived in the Hanley Road close to where Mr Weaver had lived on Liverpool Road. They even recognised him as a former regular at the Derwent Road Labour Club in Widnes and had a good chat about old times.

They were travelling on a Manchester-based coach tour of Dawlish and Teignmouth and Dawlish Coaches Ltd, owned by John Weaver, was contacted as it is one of largest coach companies in Devon.

And the Widnes passengers were in for VIP treatment as every one of Mr Weaver's 32-strong coach fleet was occupied so he decided to take a spin in a new, £250,000 coach which was being prepared for its maiden voyage to Italy, to pick up the stranded passengers and deliver them to a hotel in Exmouth.

John's wife Jenny said: 'John took the call and was only too pleased to help a fellow northerner who was in trouble

'He offered the services of his workshop manager to see if repairs could be done at the roadside and when this proved impossible he arranged for the coach to be brought into Dawlish Coaches' own workshop so that work could be carried out.

'While talking to the passengers about the area they were visiting John told them he had lived in Widnes for many years at which four voices shouted 'we're from Widnes too'.

'John was quickly recognised as the former Councillor Weaver from his days as a councillor of Appleton Ward - it was such a coincidence!

'It was obvious that because of the problems with the coach it was not going to be repaired in the same day so the passengers were given the afternoon in the lovely seaside town of Dawlish.'

Mr Weaver moved to Torquay to 'try' retirement in 1995 but became co-owner of the company.

Their three sons were all schooled in Widnes and after following their own careers they have now joined their parents in running the multi-million pound business which operates British and continental tours.