LEUKAEMIA patient Thomas Steer has received a four-figure cash gift from his father's workmates.

Newport Transport has raised £1,000 to help send nine-year-old Thomas, from Alway, Newport, on the holiday of a lifetime.

Employees have held a number of events recently, and the latest saw a 46-year-old PD2 bus take to the city's streets for the first time in more than a quarter of a century.

Secretary of the fundraising appeal, Tim Morgan, said: "The last time the old bus was around Newport was in the 1970's, it was built in 1958 and was much more powerful and smoother than today's buses.

"It was absolutely amazing, all the fantastic support from members of the public and business throwing their coins onto the old bus. We would like to thank all of them and give a big thank you to Dragon Taxis, who donated £200."

The bus also brought back memories for driver Alan Smith, who was last behind the wheel in the 1960s.

Thomas is currently in Llandough Hospital, near Penarth, where he is responding well to his treatment, according to his dad Jeff, who works as a driver for Newport Transport.

The youngster has been treated for leukaemia since he was first diagnosed with the disease in 2001. It was thought he had overcome it, but it has returned and his best hope of recovery now lies with a bone marrow transplant.

Potential donors are being sought and blood donors are wanted in the hope of finding a suitable match.

Thomas's family hope to be able to send him on a holiday to Disneyland. Earlier this week, the Argus reported how his friend, eight-year-old Joel Vassallo, raised £188 towards that aim through a collection with his dad Manny at Llanwern steelworks.