AN emotional prom surprise left a local mum and her daughter in tears.

Step-dad Howard Matthews shocked his wife Charlotte Giddins and step-daughter Emily-May Giddins by arranging to divert her prom transport to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, after Mrs Giddins had been taken ill.

Mrs Giddins had been taken into hospital earlier in the week, meaning she would miss sending her daughter off to prom.

Charlotte was riding in style to the prom with her friends in a fire engine.

Mr Matthews said he did not want the pair to miss a "special moment" in their lives together, so arranged with the hospital to park the fire engine that was taking Charlotte and her friends to prom to stop off there.

Mr Matthews brought Mrs Giddins out to the front of the hospital to see her daughter all dressed up ready for the big night.

Mr Matthews said: "The pair of them burst into tears. It was an emotional moment. This shows it's not all doom and gloom."

Emily-May Giddins is a Year 11 student at Ferndown Upper School, who held their prom at AFC Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium on June 29.