A FAMOUS Formula One pundit said he is ‘proud’ to represent a company which builds parts for defence contractors.

David Coulthard acknowledged that the sector is a ‘controversial area’ at a product launch in Transcal Engineering's factory, in Pershore, Worcestershire, yesterday.

Mr Coulthard saw some of the military parts made at the factory when he visited one of the company's customers yesterday morning.

He said: "I'm proud to be an ambassador of a company that contributes to the defence sector.

“War is the last thing anyone wants to find themselves in but it's been going on long before we came along.

“Nobody likes to be seen to support it in times of peace but [if] you go back generations we have all needed some form of defence against aggressors."

Mr Coulthard, who was born in Scotland, became brand ambassador for the Scottish-based firm about a year ago.

He said he feels as comfortable in a factory as he does on a race track and expressed his full support for British engineering.

The former racing driver said he only ever drove for British Formula One teams, despite an offer from Ferrari, due to his support for British engineering.

Mr Coulthard also spoke about the importance of skilled labour.

"If skills can't be found in the UK people should be allowed to come in from outside," he added.

"One of the biggest difficulties is finding skilled engineers."

Robert Aitken, Chief Executive Officer of Transcal Engineering, said the launch of the Universal Access Toilet secures jobs at the Pershore factory.

"The product will be fully fabricated on this site. It's a lot cleaner and crisper than a normal toilet," he said.

"The public are fed up of not having an operational toilet on a train."

Mr Aitken added that the company is looking to recruit more staff in the future.

He announced that the company has sold its first batch of toilets to rail firm Porterbrook for £1.5m.

Transcal Engineering builds military parts, including vehicle side boxes and radio racks, and non-military items.