A blushing bride was swept off her feet by her hubby-to-be who whisked her off to their wedding in a state-of-the-art road cleaning lorry.

James Sunderland and Vicky Townley shunned the traditional limousine in favour of using the Volvo sweeping lorry.

Guests and onlookers were amazed when they turned up in the £130,000 truck which James uses for his job of keeping the runway clean at Leeds-Bradford Airport.

The couple opted for the unusual transport after being egged on by James's colleagues at Bradford waste management company Thomas Crompton.

James, 33, said: "It started off at work as a bit of a joke. It was Thomas's idea when he said we'd probably want the full sweeper service for the wedding.

"We did want something different, so as things moved on it seemed a better and better idea.

"It was only on Friday night that Vicky finally agreed to go for it."

The big day on Saturday saw James drive Vicky all the way from Thomas Crompton's depot in Bowling Back Lane to Leeds Register Office.

Following the ceremony, the couple again travelled in the road sweeper before switching to Mr Crompton's Bentley, which whisked them the final few yards to the reception at their Rodley home.

"I think we'd have taken the sweeper all the way if we could," said James, "but it wouldn't get down the street because of all the parked cars.

Vicky, 18, who is eight months' pregnant, admitted she had thought long and hard before being going for the lorry idea.

"It's definitely different and quite original," said the former pupil of Greenhead High School in Keighley.

"When it was first mentioned I thought probably not' because I wasn't sure I'd be able to get in the cab in my condition.

"But the idea grew on me and I had plenty of people to help me up."

The couple met three years ago when James was a bus driver in North Yorkshire.

One day Vicky got on his bus and presented her well-worn pass. Thinking it was a fake James confiscated it.

"Despite all that, we just got talking and really hit it off," said James.

e-mail: jonathan.walton @bradford. newsquest. co.uk