Britain's youngest female crane operator towers above her peers

Proud Mia Allen literally towers above her peers - after qualifying as Britain's youngest crane operator.

Mia, 20, has followed in the footsteps of her dad Mark who trained her to work at the docks at Immingham, Lincs.

And after starting work as a port operative last year, the high flyer worked her way up the ranks and is now a tier three crane operator for Associated British Ports.

Mia spends much of her 12 hour shifts 110ft in the air loading and unloading cargo ships that arrive at the port, where Mark holds the record for 76 movements in an hour.

She said: “It’s something that I would never have imagined I’d end up doing for work, but I’m glad I have because I love it.”

Mia, from Grimsby, is the youngest of three children Mark, 52, has with wife Stacey, 46.

Her sister Billie, 24, is a hairdresser and brother Josh, 22, works in an office.

But while she never imagined she would pursue a career on the port, Mia admits she was the most likely of the three to end up working with their dad.

She added: “I’ve always been the most like my dad, I was always into football and outgoing. My dad is very outgoing so I’m like him.

“He always said it was his dream for me to come and work here and for him to train me. He’s very experienced, so I learnt from the best.

“Dad was really delighted when I passed the test. He’s told me he’s very proud of me.

“He worked Christmas Eve one year and we came in and sat in the lobby while he unloaded the ship. Now I’m here doing just that.”

Mia clocks on for her shift at 6am every morning and is given her tasks for the day.

Her role also involves driving the tugs that move containers around the port and the rubber tyred gantry cranes, which stack the containers.

And when she is in ship to shore crane, she sits perched 110ft above the ground with a glass floor under her feet for hours at a time.

Mia added: “It’s good, you get to see so much, you get great views and you never get bored, it’s very busy.

“I’m fine with heights, it doesn’t bother me. It’s just me in the crane and the deck man on the floor and we work together.

“I’ve got a great gang around me and we all get on well. I just want to keep improving and doing well and see where it takes me.”

Mia, who started working for ABP just over a year ago after leaving her job at a chippy, is the firm’s first ship to shore crane operator in the Humber region.

And she hopes to inspire other women to pursue a career on ports, adding: “If you like a challenge and want a role with interest and opportunity then working in the port sector is ideal.

"Ports offer a range of roles and you don’t need to have a maritime background.”

Proud dad Mark said: “I’m extremely proud of Mia becoming the first ship to shore crane operator in the Humber.

"She’s a very capable young woman and it was great I was able to train her.

"She’s breaking down the barriers in showing that men and women can work in the ports sector.

"She’s sailing along pursuing her dream and is not phased by anything, which brings me great joy watching her navigate her way through her career.”

Simon Bird, regional director at ABP, said: “We’re proud that she has achieved this milestone and look forward to more to come.

“We want to increase the number of women in the ports industry and are committed to promoting diversity and fostering inclusivity.

“We have initiatives aimed at improving recruitment to demystify what has been traditionally seen as a male operated world and have been the first port operator to introduce women’s PPE.

“Our message is clear – there are roles at the ports for women.”