A HUGE fuel tank which was made in Ledbury is now en route to its final destination - the Falkland Islands.

The tank, which can hold 10,000 litres of petrol, has been made by Ledbury Engineering and Welding, based at the New Mills industrial estate.

It was ordered by Stanley Services, the company that supplies fuel to the islands, both for people's domestic use, and to power the fishing fleet that operates in the waters around the Falklands.

The tank has now been delivered to the docks at Southampton, on is way to its final destination of Fox Bay Village on West Falkland.

The tank is two metres in diameter and 5.5 metres long and specially designed to ensure its safety.

Kevin Powell, the firm's managing director, said: "We won this order against a competitive bid. We believe that a deciding factor was the integrity of our SuperVault technology which has been designed to pass rigorous fire and multiple-hazard test requirements."

Tom Swales, managing director of Stanley Services, said: "This new facility will allow our customers on West Falkland to collect petrol in a very straightforward and easy manner and saves them having to store highly-inflammable product in 205-litre barrels."

Ledbury Welding and Engineering was founded in the town over 50 years ago. For a while it was based in Hereford, but in 1999 it moved back to Ledbury. It currently employs 40 people.