THE driver of this removal van was 16-stone until he got stuck in traffic in York's Micklegate. Now Deans Removals of Harrogate are down to a skeleton staff.

Only joking!

Turpin reader Ann Wood, of York, who took this amusing picture, couldn't resist giving me the bare bones of the tale as she urged me: "Go on, put some flesh on it, bet you can't!"

I can and will...

Chris Poole of Deans and his colleagues were moving the Northern Acupuncture College and Clinic from their two bases in Acomb and Holgate to its new central unit at 61 Micklegate and this included the skeleton... though where you'd stick an acupuncture needle is anyone's guess.

"We had to go up and down three flights of stairs at Micklegate, so knowing bones are brittle I gave Syd The Skeleton a soft seat at the wheel of our removal van," says 36-year-old Chris. "He answered our mobile phone a couple of times while we were busy... he was really no trouble at all."

Chris reckons they all worked themselves to the bone to get the job done within two days.