A Wallington driving instructor is allowing a 12-year-old to take the wheel at Silverstone. 

Although its sounds like madness, its part of an AA initiative to make sure young people have some grounding on road safety before they turn 17.

AA instructor Mick Turrell has volunteered to put his instruction skills to the test between July 20 and July 22.

Children from the age of 12, who are taller than 4' 9", will get the opportunity to drive Mr Turrell's Ford Focus tuition car, which is fitted with dual-controls, at the Silverstone Classic event.

Mick has been a driving instructor for six years and teaches across Morden, Wallington, Banstead and Woodcote.

He said: "When I became a driving instructor I never dreamt I would get the chance to drive at Silverstone – it’s a great opportunity and I’m really looking forward to it.

"Giving under-17s the chance to get behind the wheel can help give them a really good grounding in road safety and make them safer drivers when they are old enough for their provisional licence.

"It will also be fun for them and great to be able to say the first time they drove a car was at Silverstone."

The AA Charitable Trust and Make Roads Safe will be launching a joint report at the event which calls for greater off-road opportunities to be given to under-17s so they have the chance to drive a car before they turn 17.

AA/Populus research carried out showed 73 per cent of drivers think young drivers would be safer once they passed their test if they had greater opportunities to drive a car in a safe, controlled, off-road environment, before they turned 17.

Edmund King, director of the AA Charitable Trust, said: "Giving under-17s the chance to try driving before they are old enough to get their provisional licence can help instil a responsible attitude to driving and road safety."