A WEDDING vehicle hire business with a Yorkshire twist will represent the region in a national industry awards finals next month.

The Great Ayton-based Yorkshire Vehicle Hire company recently won the 2020 Yorkshire & North East Transport Provider of the Year by The Wedding Industry Awards.

The family-run business is now gearing up to head to London on January 15 to represent the region in the awards' Transport Category.

Tom Waters founded the company in 2017 with his wife Sophie after they eschewed the usual Rolls Royce and Bentley wedding cars in favour of a vehicle more often seen marauding around muddy Yorkshire fields - the iconic Land Rover.

And Mr Waters said that it was their own wedding that provided the inspiration behind the business.

He said: "When we got married in 2017 we had restored a 1950s Land Rover ourselves and we used that as our wedding car.

"That is what gave us the idea because we wanted something just a little bit different.

"We've only been doing it for a short period time but we are diversifying a little bit already into self-drive vehicle hire where people can take them out for the weekend in the North York Moors or Dales or wherever."

In just three years the business has grown to include a fleet of eight vehicles, all but one of which are Land Rovers.

The exception is a vintage 1950s bus which is also proving a hit with customers.

And despite making the national finals, Mr Waters is keeping his feet on the ground ahead of January's ceremony.

He said: "We were not expecting to win the regionals to be fair so I would not say we were confident.

"But even just making it as far as we have, we are really pleased with that."