PENSIONERS in Evesham are claiming victory this week with the news of significant rises in pensions next year, and a £200 fuel allowance set to drop through their doors next week.

But Vale hauliers are not so happy and plan to join any planned national fuel protest.

With £5 extra for single pensioners and £8 for couples - plus an extra £50 pay out for fuel, pensioners are on the whole pleased with the pre-Budget announcement yesterday.

Chancellor, Gordon Brown yesterday (Wednesday) also said the free TV licence for the over 75s is to stay and the minimum income guarantee is to rise to £92.15 a week by 2001.

Secretary of Evesham and District Pensioners, Lilian Sodeau, said: "Never have pensioners been so militant, and it's working - the increase is much better and £200 for fuel is brilliant."

For motorists and hauliers the Chancellor announced he was putting a freeze in excise duty on fuel until April 2001 and cutting ultra-low sulphur fuel by 2p from 2001 which together with a cut of 1p in October brings the reduction up to 3p.

Mr Brown is also introducing a British 'tax'disc for foreign lorries using British roads and announced the end of road tax on tractors.

George Simpson of Marshall Transport, who in the past 12 months spent £628,363 plus VAT on fuel said: "We were looking at a 15% reduction and have been given 3p, amounting to £29,000 instead of £147,000."

He was also disappointed with excise duty cuts which he reckoned would amount to an average of £21,000: "We pay £3,950 for a 40 tonne vehicle, the French pay £450, and on average our duty is 15% higher than foreign competition", he said. His company too planned to take part in any fuel protest.