THE first woman to drive tanks in the British Army is now helping buyers in Wimborne secure their dream homes.

Victoria Grinnall, 26, worked as an armoured engineer for six years and was the very first female in the army to drive Titan and Trojan tanks.

She has now taken advantage of Barratt Homes’ Armed Forces Transition Programme, which gives ex-forces personnel the opportunity to become an assistant site manager.

Victoria, who has been working with Barratt at its Quarter Jack Park development in Wimborne for nearly four months, said: “The Transition Programme is a really important way to connect those leaving the armed forces with civilian life. It has given me a fantastic opportunity to develop a career after leaving the military.

“After driving tanks for a living, construction is completely new to me but there are many transferable skills that I can bring with me from my time in the armed forces. Being a team player and a great timekeeper are a couple of them – both of which are essential as I work with different suppliers, contractors and colleagues to build quality homes on time and to budget.”

As trainee assistant site manager in Wimborne, Victoria has been assisting the Dorset site manager to ensure all contractors are clear on their tasks for the day and has also been assisting with any customer queries that arise on site.

Barratt Homes’ Anthony Dimmick, said: “We are proud to support our armed forces and seek ways to help them in any way we can.

“To mark Armed Forces Day on June 26, we want to encourage more ex-forces workers to take advantage of the Armed Forces Transition Programme, just like Victoria has.”