CLEOBURY Mortimer’s MP has met the current and former world land speed record holders.

Conservative Philip Dunne met Andy Green and Richard Noble at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Bloodhound SuperSonic Car (SSC) exhibition in the House of Commons.

The institution is a key sponsors of Bloodhound SSC, which aims to break the world land speed record by reaching more than 1,000mph in the South African desert in 2015.

Wing Commander Andy Green, the current world land speed record holder, will be driving Bloodhound SSC, while Richard Noble is the former record holder and Bloodhound SSC’s project director.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is also a sponsor of the Bloodhound SSC project, providing technical support through the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers regiment of the Army and the jet engines that will be used to power the car.

Mr Dunne said: ”I am pleased to support this remarkable project. The MoD is keen to stimulate interest in STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths] subjects at schools, so that pupils who study maths and science will become the engineers of tomorrow.

The Bloodhound project is already being followed by pupils in over 5,500 schools across the country.”

Stephen Tetlow, chief executive of the institution, said: “Bloodhound SSC is a hugely exciting project, which aims not just to break the land speed record but to inspire a new generation of scientists and engineers.

“We need to encourage more young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths, to ensure we have the right skills to keep the country’s economy growing and to tackle the big challenges facing humankind, like rising population and climate change.

“Currently the number of people pursuing STEM careers is just not enough to meet future demands, which is why inspiring young people through the Bloodhound SSC project is so important.

“We hope that by showcasing the Bloodhound SSC car people realise the hugely exciting prospects there are in pursuing a career in engineering and STEM more generally.”