It was with not-a-little excitement that I opened the latest edition of "Jane's Fighting buses and armoured PSVs" (including full details of camouflage moquette on the seats and depleted uranium hardened ticketing machines) whereupon I found this superb example of the combat coach from Volvo for use by Swedish UN peace keeping forces in Liberia.

Based upon an 4x4 FM9 chassis it features bodywork by Helmark of Markaryd, Sweden (eat your heart out Plaxtons). According to Leif Johansson, head of military sales at Volvo Trucks Business Region Nordic (the code name for Battlegroup V) "One of the requirements the Swedish Armed Forces set was that it should be possible to drive the bus on roads damaged in war. Whenever necessary, the windows can also be covered with an extra ballistic protection made of composite material with a layer of polycarbonate which is able to withstand both stone throwing and attacks with light firearms."

Not surprisingly Volvo tells me that it has already several enquiries from Premier League football clubs interested in replacing their current "executive" coaches with something more robust...

But what would Blakely have made of it all? "Go on Butler, get that armoured fighting bus out of 'ere...ahhhhhhhhhhh. I 'ate you Butler.."