Grimsby woman becomes Britains first female ship-to-shore crane operator at 20

  • Head for heights: Mia Allen works at a height of 110ft

A 20-year-old former chip shop worker from Grimsby has become Britain's youngest ever crane operator.

Mia Allen is also the first female ship-to-shore crane driver after being inspired to retrain by her father who has worked at Immingham docks for 20 years.

She said: “For years he wanted me to work here and I used to say 'no, its boring' but I'm glad he pushed me to do it because I love it."

Immingham docks handles 46 million tonnes of cargo each year

Mia is part of team responsible for helping to unload dozens of shipping containers every day at the port, which handles around 46 million tonnes of cargo each year.

Although she is working 110ft (34m) above ground, in a glass-bottomed cage, she says she doesn't get "scared."

"You get some good views from the sunset. It's brilliant," she said.

Emma Lingard, of Associated British Ports, said becoming a crane operator at 20 was a "great accolade."

"A quarter of the UK's sea-born trade is coming through the Humber. We need all these people to play their role in keeping Britain trading," she said.

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