Crashing tractors into cars isn’t usually encouraged, but in the interests of fire service training machinery dealer Lister Wilder drove a 360hp Fendt 939 into an ageing Vauxhall Corsa.

Weighed down by a 2t front ballast and 500kg wheel weights the Fendt, supplied by the firm’s Reading depot, was smashed into the hatchback to give local fire-fighters a life-like reconstruction of a head-on collision.

A fire service training dummy was used in the driver’s seat, to simulate the result of a car being driven down a narrow country lane at speed and coming face to face with a large tractor, said Andy Balfour, a fire-fighter for the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

“Such training scenarios are vital for building the skill levels that are needed as we can face any situation. We now save more lives by rescuing people from road traffic collisions than we do from fires and the offer of training with this vehicle was a great opportunity for the crews to practice their techniques.”