Sixteen years after her first driving test, Lisa Stanton is out on the road on her own for the first time today.

Lisa, aged 33, of Matlock Close, Netherton, had her first driving lesson at 17 for £8.50.

She took two crash courses in an attempt to get qualified as quickly as possible but, after failing six practical tests and six theory tests over six years, gave up hope and resigned herself to a pedestrian life.

“I used to look at people driving along the street and think ‘you don’t know how lucky you are’,” she said.

“I genuinely never thought I would be one of them. I just thought maybe it wasn’t for me.”

In December last year she passed her theory in preparation to get back behind the wheel in April, when the bad weather was over.

She worked intensively, having three lessons a fortnight at £21 each, and on Monday – six months later – she passed with flying colours.