IT'S not exactly Army issue but squaddie Sarah Wright just can't get enough of her new pink car.

The military clerk, based at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, is following in the footsteps of Thunderbirds puppet Lady Penelope, cartoon heroine Penelope Pitstop and even glamour model Jordan with her bright bubblegum-coloured vehicle.

The Ford StreetKa was silver when Corporal Wright, 32, chose it at the CD Bramall garage in Darlington.

But she asked mechanics there to spray it "dolly mixture pink" - for an extra £1,000.

She said: "I got a national newspaper about two months ago and it had a pink StreetKa in there, in an article about the new Thunderbirds film. I loved it.

"I went to the garage and said 'I want a StreetKa and I want it pink'. They thought I was joking but I just really like the colour. Everyone who has seen it has just said 'oh, my God'."

Richard McVay, new-car sales manager at CD Bramall, said: "We advised against it to start with but she knew what she wanted and was over the moon with it when she saw it.

"It's probably one of the most unusual requests we've ever had."