AN ASSISTANT manager at a fast food restaurant in Darlington is among the first to receive a diploma in restaurant management.

Miss Sara Gaston, aged 26, is first assistant manager at the McDonald's restaurant at Morton Park.

A graduate in humanities from Teesside university, Miss Gaston, who lives in Hartlepool, joined the company's Morton Park outlet four years ago.

She was one of 15 McDonald's managers out of 300 nationwide to achieve the diploma from Nottingham Trent university following a six-month course.

She said: "I enjoyed it. I learned quite a lot and it felt like it was a real achievement when I received the diploma."

To earn the qualification, candidates had to prove their business acumen and were assessed on their financial, marketing and people management skills, as well as their ability to set and achieve goals.

"The main point was to show how you would increase sales," said Miss Gaston. "I decided we had to go back to basics to ensure the best quality and service.

"It's all very well having special offers and promotions, but if standards of cleanliness and service are not there, customers will not come back."

Her hard work appears to be paying off. She said sales had increased recently and the restaurant's 53 staff now churned out 1,800 Big Macs each week.