All aboard for bus trips

NATIONAL Express saw its biggest sales jump in more than a decade as passengers flocked back after lockdowns.

The bus and coach operator said sales in the first half of the year were 34pc higher than in the same period 12 months earlier at £1.3bn. The group booked a £20.5m profit, swinging back from a £50.2m loss a year earlier when services were blighted by Covid restrictions.

The UK arm made a £12.8m loss in the first half, but a £50.3m profit at its Spanish arm ALSA boosted the bottom line.