A DORSET fire engine’s world record-breaking expedition attempt hit a snag in New York – because it was too high.

The Follow that Fire Engine crew, travelling in memory of late Wimborne firefighter Garth Moore, had to take off Martha the engine’s lights, ladders and let her tyres down to squeeze under bridges at the docks.

The delay meant she missed being loaded onto a ship bound for Europe, throwing the tight travel schedule into jeopardy.

Fire international’s Simon Rowley, who was there to see Martha pass through Times Square, said: “There were some very intense negotiations and the crew got very fraught.

“The next stop is Valencia, in Spain. Originally the plan was to go straight to Morocco and across the Sahara, but with the unrest in Africa it’s best just to pop quickly in and out later in the trip.”