PETITE Sue Shuttleworth is driving to the top in a man's world.

Three years ago she was a non-starter behind the wheel.

Now she is driving landrovers, four-tonners and vehicles carrying explosives, gases, petrol and flammable liquids.

And it's all happened since she joined the Territorial Army three years ago.

She passed her test at the second time just as she joined. Now the TA have her motoring at high speed through thick forest in the dark...without lights!

Sue, 32, of Rugby Road, Leigh, has gone on to win the trophy for Best Driver of the Year with the 4th Queen's Lancashire Regiment (4QLR).

She was then chosen for Exercise Medicine Man, a two-week assignment driving scientists round the British army base Batus in Canada.

The Leigh factory worker, the only female in the Military Transport section of 4QLR, said: "It's the first time the award has gone to a woman. I am very proud. So is my 10-year-old son Andrew.

"I love my job in MT and my family have been very supportive.

"My bosses are also understanding about it, like giving me time off to go to Canada."

Ironically, Sue works on military transport in her civilian job at Volex, her tiny fingers ideal for the exacting job of making the harnessing for vehicles.

At the Butts Bridge factory she works with lots of other women. But it's a bit different in the TA.

"They treat me the same in MT as they treat the blokes," Sue insisted, adding: "But I'm probably the only one who knows the MT Officer doesn't take sugar in his tea!"

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.