A BUS has been named after one of its most popular passengers who died last year aged 82.

Bosses at Uni-link, which operates a fleet of 15 buses across Southampton, came up with the idea to remember Southampton pensioner Daphne Topple who made cakes for the drivers.

She was a regular user of the U1 service that operates between Southampton University's Oceanography Centre and the Highfield campus via the city centre.

John Waugh, Transport Services Manager at Southampton University, paid tribute to the popular passenger.

"Daphne was a regular user of Uni-link, and extremely enthusiastic about our services.

"She knew all our drivers and they all loved her. She even made them special cakes to share at Christmas."

Her husband Peter, of Winn Road, Southampton, and dozens of friends turned up to the naming ceremony held at The Wessex Cancer Trust headquarters in Portswood.

Driver Rob Jones became a close friend of the couple.

"We got chatting one day and I found that we had lots in common, including a love of Swanage and the same taste in music.

"When Daphne passed away in January last year it was a bit of a surprise. She was so full of life and had such a sunny disposition.

"Her parents are remembered in an inscription on a bench in Swanage and I thought it would be a fitting

tribute to such a lovely lady to remember her with a bus named Daphne."

Southampton Test MP Alan Whitehead, who said he often uses the same U1 service, did the honours by officially naming the bus.

"It often brings a tired MP back home to his door!" he said. The success of Uni-link is down to the people who get on the bus - the students, younger people and older citizens."

Further bus namings are planned throughout the year in memory of some of Southampton's other residents.

The Uni-link bus service, run by Minerva Accord which has a team of 30 bus drivers, is expected to acco-mmodate 2.5 million passengers this year.