THEY say parents will go to any lengths for their children.

And proud couple Dianne and Barry Carter, from Marsden, have proved just that – after driving 600 miles in just 48 hours.

The couple’s two daughters Lauren, 19, and Lucy, 21, each had big celebrations they didn’t want to miss.

But with Lauren picking up her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award in Scotland on Monday and Lucy graduating from Keele University the following day, it all turned into a logistical nightmare for their parents.

Dianne, 49, a lunchtime supervisor at Marsden Infants School, told the Examiner: “We’re very proud and that’s why we followed them about.

“We made it but it was a very long drive – I wouldn’t recommend it.

“It was actually really tiring because by the time you got back to Huddersfield to sleep you were off again and no time to stop.”

Mum Dianne had two outfits for each of the important ceremonies.

Dad Barry, 69, a retired textile worker, did most of the driving.

Youngest daughter Lauren, a former Huddersfield New College student, picked up a Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award for her work with Marsden Scout Group.

She currently studies psychology and criminology at Huddersfield University.

Dianne said the ceremony – attended by the Duke of Edinburgh – was at Holyrood.

The next day Lucy graduated from Keele University in Staffordshire with a geography degree.

She’s now taking a year out before going on to train as a teacher.

Dianne said: “When Lauren got her letter about the Duke of Edinburgh Award we found out it was on July 4 and when her sister heard she said – that’s my graduation week.

“Her graduation could have been on any day and we thought it could be on the Monday.

“But as it happens it was on the following day so we managed to make it to both.

“If they had both been on the same day I would have had to go to one and Barry would have had to go to the other.

“We thought about getting the train but it was so expensive – the tickets were £70 each.”