TWO tipper trucks christened Sandy and Rubble by schoolchildren have been unveiled at a Ribble Valley quarry.

Pupils at Waddington and West Bradford Primary School were invited to come up with names for the two new tippers at Waddington Fell Quarry.

And seven-year-old Connor Byrne from Waddington and nine-year-old Jake Thomas from Longridge came up trumps with Sandy and Rubble.

Quarry manager Simon Smith said: "Because we are located close to Waddington village, we invited local pupils to come up with suitable names for our two new tippers.

"We received 50 beautifully coloured pictures and imaginiative names. The standard of entrants was very high, making it a hard choice, but we decided on Sandy and Rubble because of their association with the quarrying business."

The 20-tonne trucks will haul crushed rock, stone and sand, to housebuilders, local authorities, contactors and business merchants, throughout the North West.

Simon Smith added: "We operate a strict code of practice to ensure our vehicles are maintained in a safe and roadworthy condition, and that disturbance to local residents from vehicle movements is minimal."

Waddington and West Bradford Primary School head teacher Doreen Coles said: "The competition was a great opportunity to involve the school in a local business initiative.

"It increased the children's understanding of the role of the quarry and the wide range of uses that extracted aggregates have in a commercial environment."

Waddington Fell Quarry was acquired by national company Aggregate Industries in October, 2000, which has made significant investments in new plant and equipment at the site.