A travel agent has cast aside her L-plates - on a national television programme.

Amy Simpson, 20, from Catterick, North Yorkshire, was featured on BBC One show Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre as she underwent intensive driving lessons.

She had to learn to drive for her job at Richmond-based Travel Care, and cameras followed her as she took lessons from B Safe Driver Training, of Willington, County Durham.

"I needed to drive so I could go out to other branches and things like that," said Amy, who now plans to take a Pass Plus course next month.

"I was doing the intensive course anyway, and then I got a phone call to see if I wanted to be on television. They did a test run to see if they wanted to screen it and then they filmed me doing my lessons."

Under the pressure of the cameras, Amy failed her first test, but passed at the second attempt a few weeks later.

Ronnie Kell, director of B Safe, said: "She's very bubbly, which is what they were looking for, and she did very well.

"Since we've been on television, the phones have gone berserk.

"We've had people phoning from London having seen the show, because the prices are cheaper up here and they say North Yorkshire looks such a lovely place to learn."

Published: 28/06/2005