15-year-old escorts drunk friends home in tractor before being stopped by police in Ripley

Police stopped the tractor in Ripley just before 5am on Saturday, February 5, after watching it leave Harrogate without any headlights on.

However, officers were shocked to discover that a 15-year-old male was driving the vehicle and playing taxi driver for his two two drunk friends.

The 15-year-old and the two other young males were swiftly returned to the care of their parents and will be interviewed by police in "due course".

Traffic Constable David Minto joked on Twitter that the "big truck" was needed to seize the tractor, which was not insured to the teenager.

He added that the owner would be able to collect it immediately upon production of his documents.