Members of the Tatton Group plan to park the 25-seater coach in a lay-by near Knutsford next week - and hope villagers will hop on board to back their 'keep the pound' campaign.

"We want people to have the chance to say whether they want to save the pound or not," said organiser Peter Veitch.

"We think it will be representative of what the mood in the country is."

Parish votes are expected to take place across the country, but the polling station at Mere, near Knutsford, is believed to be the only one on four wheels.

Just 10 supporters are needed to force Macclesfield Borough Council to hold a referendum on the issue.

Retired Mark Walley has offered one of his son's five-strong fleet of buses for free to stage next week's meeting.

"It is just an ordinary bus, but they are using it for an extraordinary thing," said Mark, 62.

National organisers had advised local representatives not to hold the poll on licensed premises.

But Mr Veitch said he could not find anywhere in Mere that did not have the right to sell alcohol.

"Even the parish recreation centre had a licence so we felt the only solution was to hold it on a bus," he said.

If enough residents turn up, all 499 voters in Mere could get the chance to vote on whether Britain should keep the pound.

"The pound is part of our heritage and this is what the European Union is destroying," said Mr Veitch, of New York Cottage, Mere.

The bus will be parked in a lay-by between the Mere traffic lights and the Kilton Inn at 7.30pm on Tuesday August 29.

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