A BATLEY-born businessman has donated money to help disadvantaged young people study at Huddersfield University.

Now Lawrence Tomlinson, chairman of Leeds-based car manufacturer Ginetta, has met 14 of the 20 first-year students who are benefiting as a result of his donation.

Students on the engineering foundation course and mechanical MEng and BEng programmes were shown round the Ginetta factory by Mr Tomlinson and factory driver Mike Simpson.

The students were assessed by university vice-chancellor Prof Bob Cryan, who decided who should benefit from the donation based on parental income and their entry scores for the university courses.

Principal lecturer John Baron, who accompanied the students said: “I am so grateful to Lawrence for showing us round his factory. His depth of knowledge about engineering and motor racing was hugely impressive. The students have really benefited from the donation and have been inspired by what they have seen.”

Mr Tomlinson said: “I am really pleased I can show the students from Huddersfield round the factory and have a chat with some of them. I am a firm believer in giving young people a chance and I hope this money means they can complete their courses and achieve things they might not have been able to without the funding.

“Ginetta are used to taking on placement students and it would be great if we saw some of the lads that were on the tour working with us in the future.”

Mr Tomlinson already has strong links with the university as he has an honorary doctorate. He is chairman of the LNT Group, which has interests in construction, care homes, software and de-icing products for the rail and aviation industries as well as the Ginetta business.