MANCHESTER-based housing maintenance company City Response has taken on 49 Citroen commercial vehicles worth half-a-million pounds at showroom prices as part of a complete fleet replacement programme.

The company ordered 14 Berlingo 800 2.0 HDi LX vans, 12 Dispatch 900 2.0 HDi vans, 19 relay 1500 2.0 HDi short wheelbase vans and four Relay 1800 2.2Hdi crew cab tippers.

Vehicle supplier Citroen Manchester has fitted alarms and liveried all the vehicles as well as fitted bulkheads, ply lining and roof racks to the vehicles.

City Response managing director William Park said: 'Citroen has a commercial vehicle range which suits the various transport applications within our business. Now that the new HDi-powered Citroens are in service we have noticed that our fuel bills have been reduced thanks to the fuel-efficiency of their engines.'

The new Citroens, funded by Interleasing, replace models from Peugeot, and are operated on Interleasing three-year lease agreements, with maintenance carried out by local Citroen dealers. The vehicles will cover between 50,000 and 60,000 miles during their time with the company.