A NORTH Yorkshire MP is calling on the government to bring forward the release of up to £3bn investment for zero emission buses to help save jobs.

Over 530 workers employed at the Scarborough factory run by bus builder Alexander Dennis are waiting to find out where the axe could fall after the firm announced consultations on up to 650 redundancies out of the 2,300 workforce also employed at sites in Falkirk and Guildford.

The firm said orders for green buses had plummeted due to the coronavirus crisis. Scarborough MP Robert Goodwill has wrritten to Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling for money committed in February for at least 4,000 new zero emission buses to be released urgently.

Along with Falkirk MP John McNally, SNP, Mr Goodwill warned: "At worst, the current environment could put the industry at risk entirely and confront the government with the choice between nationalisation or seeing thousands of routes cut and jobs lost at manufacturing sites in our constituencies.

"Unlocking the funding will be a critical, potentially life-saving boost for the industry, and one that will sustain and create thousands of jobs. Buses are a vital pillar of local communities across the UK, particularly in rural and deprived areas."

Alexander Dennis directors said they had been looking at a record year but Covid-19 had changed everything. They've launched a 45 day consultation over redundancies but have not said where jobs would go.