TEENAGER Laura Warburton had been offered a chauffeur-driven limo to take her to the end-of-year prom but instead chose to drive herself in a tractor.
The 16-year-old Helsby High School pupil had always been around farm machinery because her father Gary runs a grass machinery repair business and she thought arriving by tractor would be ‘a little bit different from everyone else’.
Laura, who lives in Frodsham, even took the necessary tests to allow her to drive a tractor, which is allowed at the age of 16 rather than the usual 17 in a car.
The teenager, whose prom was held at the Holiday Inn, Runcorn, said: “I decorated the tractor with lots of colourful balloons, bunting, banners and union jack flags and then drove myself in a full length gown to the prom, and won the best entrance award.
“I have been brought up around farm machinery since I was little and have driven on private land from the age of nine.
“I have always been interested in tractors as my dad repairs and uses them. As the prom was getting closer and closer I decided that I wanted to be a little bit different from everyone else who arrived in boring cars.
“I persuaded my dad to let me take the tractor, even though he had already offered me a limo, Aston Martin or any other normal way of getting there.
“Before the prom I spent the day cleaning the tractor inside and out, making sure that I wouldn't get my dress dirty on the night, then I decorated it and I was ready to go.”
Laura is awaiting her GCSE results but aims to stay on in the sixth form at Helsby before joining her dad in his Acton Bridge-based G & N Services business where she is currently hard at work during the school holidays.
Dad Gary said his daughter’s feat was out of character for ‘quite a shy girl’ and he was extremely proud of her efforts which scooped her the best entrance prize. He said passing the tractor test was ‘quite an achievement’ considering she is only 16.
