A COMPETITION to name a Devon and Cornwall Police John Deere has been launched.

Children aged 12 or below have been invited to participate in the competition to name the tractor, loaned for free to Devon and Cornwall Police by local agricultural dealership Mason King and decked out in a distinctive police livery.

The machine is supporting the police with their visits to agricultural shows, having recently appeared at the Devon County Show.

However, the announcement of the competition hasn't stopped the adults from having a go at suggesting names, with some suggestions likely to indicate the children will do a better job.

Joe Olive suggested a tribute to a famous Coronation Street character while nodding to the tractor type with the name "Deerdrie Barlow"

Predictably, several people, including Ben Osman suggested: "Tractor McTractorface", with Kirk Osman suggesting a variant: "Sergeant McPlowface"

Anne McCabe suggested: "The mean green crime reducing farming machine"

Other suggestions included "Robo Crop" (ironically, a name given to a tractor operated by Dorset Police), "Crops and Robbers", "Plow patrol", "John", "Itsy bitsy, teeny weenie, agricultural police machiney" and "Lawn and Order".

The competition is open until midnight on Sunday 11 June with the winning name announced at the Woofstock Festival happening at Powderham Castle on June 16 -19.

PC Clarke Orchard said: “At the Devon County Show we revealed the new asset, and the response from the public was fantastic.

“As we expected, the tractor sparked lots of informative and enlightening chats with farmers from across the county, but one question that kept being asked surprised us, children wanted to know what the tractor's name was. So, we have decided to throw it open to the kids of Devon and Cornwall, send in your suggestions, and give the tractor its official name!”

Entrants must be aged 12 or under and have permission from their parents or guardian.

The competition is open until midnight on June 11, 2023.To enter and read the full terms and conditions click here .