Swindon engineer Andy Jennings sets record for world's fastest wheelie bin

Swindon man Andy Jennings, 28, transformed his green household waste bin into a racing machine - complete with a small motorbike engine, a gear box, ignition, a bike seat, and the steering from a mobility scooter.

On Sunday, Andy hit the tarmac in his rigged-out bin to attempt to set his brand new world record, Adver sister paper the York Press reported.

Guinness World Record officials set Andy a benchmark of over 30mph in order to secure the record for fastest wheelie bin.

But the engineer smashed his goal - and stormed down the runway at Elvington Airfield, near York, at a whopping 43mph.

Andy’s impressive record was just one of several landspeed records broken at Elvington Airfield on Sunday, at an event organised by motorsport racing company Straightliners.

Andy Jennings in the speedy wheelie bin Picture: YORK PRESS

Racing down the runway as well as Andy was the world’s fastest motorised toilet at 44.6mph and the world’s fastest garden shed, which hit an impressive 106.1mph.

But one of the true “stars of the show” was self-confessed ‘adrenaline junkie’ Jason Liversidge, 44, who reached speeds of almost 65mph in a motorised wheelchair - despite being 95 per cent paralysed.

Both Andy and Jason were “chuffed” to have smashed the targets set for them by Guinness World Record officials.

Andy, whose world record attempt was in memory of his best friend Ben Ellis, who passed away in June, said: “It’s been a great day all round.

“I got my record, with 45.35mph - which is well above the target I was set of 30mph, so I was really happy with that."

“It was a bit hairy on my first attempt, because it was quite windy on the runway and I got caught in the crosswinds, so it was pretty bumpy, and pulling to the left and the right.

“I just got myself into fourth gear as quickly as possible, and hoped for the best.

“Once I got to the end of the runway, it was a really nice feeling looking back and seeing all the spectators there cheering me on.”

Andy Jennings and his motorised bin Picture: YORK PRESS

The final checks Picture: YORK PRESS

Ben Ellis had suffered an accident at work around five years ago, in which he broke his leg.

But he was left comatose for two years when a blood clot formed in his brain, and permanently disabled after he came round, unable to speak or move.

Andy said: “Ben would have been proud of my achievement here today.

“I had some of his family on the phone not longer after I got the record, asking how it had gone and congratulating me.

“Some of the spectators at the airfield also asked how they can donate money to the fundraising page I’ve set up for his family, too - so that’s been good.

“I’ve really enjoyed myself.”

Trevor Duckworth, CEO and chief timekeeper of Straightliners, said the weekend’s speed record event had been “very successful”.

He said: “Lots of records have been broken or established this weekend - it’s been quite a fun time.

“We’ve had a motorised toilet, a wheelie bin, a garden shed and a wheelbarrow. People do come up with some quite crazy ideas - but we’re here to help them.

“The star of the show was probably Jason Liversidge - he was the one who brought a little tear to the eye.

“The event has worked out really well, even with the Covid situation. Everybody who came was wearing face coverings, and we’ve had sanitising stations around the airfield.

“I think people have just been glad to be able to get out and do something a bit different.”