CRUSADING war veteran Frank Avenell says Swindon's pensioners are ready for another battle after the Audit Commission criticised the borough's concessionary travel scheme.

Frank, 79, heads a band of determined older residents called the Fairness for Pensioners Group, which formed in 2000 when Swindon Council made moves to cut concessionary travel allowances. After a long-running battle in which the committee lobbied the council with a petition containing 2,000 signatures, the council eventually backed down and the concessions were saved.

But a year on, the travel scheme has again come under fire, this time by the Audit Commission, which says the £20 rail vouchers available to OAPs and disabled people could be better used elsewhere, and are a duplication of benefit for people who also qualify for other discounts such as the Senior Rail Card.

Mr Avenell said: "We fought hard to keep those concessions a year ago and we don't intend to lose them now."

Under the current concession scheme, pensioners in Swindon can choose between £40 worth of bus tokens a year, half price travel on buses for a year or a £20 voucher for a senior citizens railcard, which gives one third off train travel.

A council spokeswoman confirmed that the Audit Commission had criticised the travel concession scheme but said there were no plans to scrap it.