A FIRM famous for renovating vintage cars has been given its biggest task - to restore a 68-year-old fire engine to its former glory.

The chassis of the vehicle, with only its wheels, engine, bonnet, water tank and hose outlets, has been delivered to The Carrosserie Company, in Barnard Castle, County Durham.

Partners Dick Francis and Steve Layton, who usually work on Rolls Royces and Bentleys, will spend about four months rebuilding the bodywork from the original drawings by the makers, Dennis of Guildford.

Mr Francis said: "It is a really interesting project. We aim to make the engine look just like it did when it left the factory in 1937, so the complete body and doors have to be rebuilt.

"We have worked on more valuable vehicles than this, but in terms of size it is our biggest project so far. There is a great deal of interest in vintage fire engines at the moment."

Andrew Lee, a hospital worker who owns the engine with a group of friends, drove it on a low loader to the works from his home in Lincoln.

He said: "There are only two or three firms in the country who could do this job, and we chose the Barnard Castle one because of its superb work on other vehicles."

The engine and other working parts have already been restored. The body and doors will be made from ash before being clad in aluminium and painted red.

The appliance, a Light Four model, was orginally based at a metal factory in Birmingham and was latterly used at a Heinz food factory in Wigan.