Newlyweds Toni Matthews and Kevin Luck should get on like a house on fire after the bride arrived at the church in a fire engine.

Toni, 22, of Saxton Road, Abingdon, wanted something different from the traditional limousine to get her to the town's St Michael's Church on time. And what better, she thought, than Bill Lawrence's 1973 former RAF fire engine "Annie".

The HCB Angus Bedford TK appliance decorated with wedding ribbons pulled up outside the church in Park Road, horn blaring and blue lights flashing.

Kevin and Toni

Toni nearly tripped as she pulled up her wedding gown to step down from the back seat but was saved by crew members Bill Lawrence and Ivan Cadge.

Toni said the idea of the fire engine sprang to mind when they saw it being re-fueled in a garage.

She said: "I thought what a great idea to have a fire engine take me to church. I asked Mr Lawrence, who was a bit shocked, but he agreed."

Fire engines run in the Matthews' family. Dad Ken was a retained leading fireman for 11 years at Abingdon. He said: "The whole family has an attachment to fire engines and Toni jumped at the chance of going to her wedding in a machine."

Kevin joked: "If there are any old flames about they will be extinguished pretty quickly by me!"

Mr Lawrence, of Beverley Close, Abingdon, is a former RAF fire fighter and bought the engine for £350. It has been restored and can be fully operational in an emergency.

He said: "I go to rallies, shows and school fetes but it has never done a wedding run. This could be the start of new duties."

After the wedding, the happy couple travelled on Annie to the reception at Steventon Village Hall - and en route shared a toast with a bottle of Champagne.

**Picture: Richard Cave