Positive change has been made benefitting Cumbrians travelling to Newcastle for hospital treatment, in memory of a well liked councillor.

Keswick Town Councillor David Burn has successfully lobbied London North Eastern Railway and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to raise awareness for a vital but lesser known service - Passenger Assist.

Passenger Assist is available from the operator to those who may need help boarding or disembarking from the train.

Cllr Burn vowed to make the public aware of the service after late Keswick and Allerdale councillor Martin Pugmire ran into difficulties on a train journey to the Newcastle Freeman Hospital.

Mr Pugmire was unable to call for assistance when the train pulled in to platform five at Newcastle Central Station as the operator's trains did not run from the platform at the time and there was little surveillance. Soon after he described the experience to his fellow councillors at a meeting saying he felt "marooned" and powerless.

The trust is now making patients aware of the assistance available to them if they are travelling for an appointment at the hospital by train.

In a paper he submitted to Keswick Town Council in September, Cllr Burn writes: "Newcastle Central is currently a LNER managed station, and all platforms are now patrolled constantly.

"There are also now around 125 CCTV cameras covering all platforms. Platforms 5, 6 and 7 are used almost exclusively by Northern, CrossCountry and TransPennine trains, and shorter trains, like those from Carlisle, are not routinely met by staff on arrival."

The popular councillor sadly passed away before seeing this change but councillor Burn promised him he would make it happen.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cllr Burn said: "It's a bit of a hackney phrase when people say 'I wanted to make a difference' but it is very nice when you see a problem (and fix it).

"A lot of the time as a councillor particularly on town and parish councils it's a very frustrating life because the council you're elected to has got limited power."

But he said when the council creates tangible change, "that's real payback."

"I was determined to do this for Martin. He was a good bloke, he was a good councillor. What I would have liked to have done is get it sorted before Martin passed away. It was Virgin East Coast when I started contacting the station."

London North Eastern Railway now runs the service that outpatients use to visit the Newcastle Freeman Hospital.

Cllr Burn thanked Louise Rutherford, a senior manager at Newcastle Central Station for her support in making the change, he said that she was acutely aware that more could be done.

Deborah Banks Head of OutPatient Services at the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust also supported his campaign.