When 'bendy buses' first appeared the streets of Manchester and why you won't see them anymore

Whether you loved them or hated them, for nearly 20 years 'bendy buses' were once a common sight in Manchester.

The sight of articulated, or 'bendy', buses has prompted mixed reactions from the UK's road users over the years. Perhaps the most contentious debate surrounding the buses was when former Prime Minister - then Mayor of London candidate - Boris Johnson promised to scrap the controversial London buses in the run-up to the mayoral election of 2008.

Following his successful campaign to become mayor, Boris Johnson confirmed his commitment to his election pledge, saying: "These writhing whales of the road have swung their hefty rear ends round our corners for the final time.

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"Pedestrians that leapt, cyclists that skidded and drivers that dodged from the path of the buses will breathe easier. Bendy buses are on borrowed time and I can confirm they will all have gone by 2011."

And they were, having first appeared on the roads of the nation's capital in 2002, the controversial buses were scrapped at the end of 2011. But while many associate the buses with London, they were introduced to Manchester three years earlier.

Although 'bendy buses' have been common on the roads of European countries since the late 1930s, it's worth noting they were in fact illegal on British roads until 1980.

However, trials on using the transport in UK cities began in 1978, including in Manchester. In August of that year, The Manchester Evening News reported: "It's the 'concertina' bus that will have you seeing double.

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"And today it brought a touch of the continent