A RETIRED policeman has passed an advanced driving test in a 1955 Morris Minor called Betty.

Hexham’s Barry Cornes (70), and his vintage motor successfully navigated the test with advanced driver Alan Nelson. An exemplary motorist, Barry sat the police standard driving course back in 1970, but wanted to brush up on his skills.

The Morris Minor enthusiast chose to use Betty, a car he bought almost eight years ago, because he believed she was more in keeping with the police driving system than his modern VW Golf, which has drive assist features.

Barry, originally from Sussex, said: “She kept up easily with modern traffic driving over a variety of testing roads in rural Northumberland.”