A MARCHING band left stranded after vandals wrecked their coach is back on the road after an anonymous donor came up with a replacement.

Stourport's Severnsiders Marching Jazz Band had their bus doused with oil and bleach - causing up to £4,500 worth of damage - while it was parked on a pub car park in Areley Kings last month.

The attack threatened to stop the 35-strong group travelling to events around the country between May and September.

Insurance covering the coach had run out and the band faced a fund-raising marathon to meet repairs.

Now a Worcester man has pledged a 53-seat coach - bigger than the original which the group bought last year - after reading about their plight in the press.

"We are incredibly overjoyed," said secretary Sarah Harrison. "It's renewed our faith in humanity. There are some decent people out there."

She added: "It will enable us to compete again as normal. It's a couple of years newer than the one we had and in a lot better condition."