TWO teenagers celebrated winning driving awards at a club which promotes safety on the roads.

Millie Perry, of Witney, and Joe Hagen, of Grove, both 16, won Best Female and Best Male Driver from the Under 17 Car Club at the end of last year.

The club, based across the south of England, works with young people under the age of 17 to instil attitudes of safer driving that stay with them for life.

Millie, who lives in Vanner Road and is a student at Wood Green School, said: "The club has given me opportunities that I would have never been able to gain from normal driving lessons.

“It's amazing to think of the experience I have gained in my past five years of driving and all of the experience I am yet to gain from the club."

Both Millie and Joe have been members of the club since they were 11. They have now each spent hundreds of hours behind the wheel of a variety of vehicles, from Aston Martins to articulated lorries.

Joe, who goes to King Alfred’s School in Wantage, said: “The club has taught me about the challenges of driving a wide range of vehicles in a variety of conditions.

“I'm convinced when I hit the roads for the first time at 17 all this experience will mean I'm a far safer and smoother driver."

He also won the Final Drive Trophy, awarded to the driver who scores most points across four disciplines. Previous winners of the trophy include Richard Burns, who later become World Rally Champion in 2001.

For more visit under17-carclub.co.uk