A JCB has been crowned the fastest digger in the world after reaching 72mph.

The Staffordshire-built yellow and black specially-modified JCB GT construction vehicle took the title of fastest backhoe loader during an attempt at Bathurst, near Sydney, Australia, Guinness World Records confirmed.

It was steered to the crown by 43-year-old Matthew Lucas - nicknamed The Dig - who is JCB's demonstration driver, from Werrington, Stoke-on-Trent.

He said: "It was great to be involved in such an exciting project and a real honour to be behind the wheel when we achieved the record."

The standard digger has been the world's biggest-selling backhoe loader for 14 consecutive years, with JCB building more than half a million in the past 61 years, since inventing the machine in 1953.

Fab Carrettin, JCB Pacific managing director, said: "The JCB GT has always been regarded as the fastest backhoe around and now it's official.

"It's fantastic to have achieved this record and underlines the world-class engineering, power and performance our customers demand from the JCB backhoe."

The speedy digger was originally designed especially to perform high-speed wheelies at racing events.