PASSIONATE driving instructors helping young people throughout the town to get behind the wheel have renewed their faith in the Reading Retail Awards.

Premier and Angels School of Motoring has been guiding student drivers through the stressful process of learning to drive for more than three decades.

The motor school is once again backing the centrepiece retail awards evening by sponsoring the Restaurant of the Year Award.

Lynne Pyke, manager of Premier and Angels School of Motoring, said: “It is a challenging business and it has become harder to sustain, particularly since we have dropped from 12 instructors to around four.

“It is really hard to get fully-qualified instructors nowadays, but we are really proud of what we have to offer.

“I like to think I am knowledgeable and passionate about the driving school. We have a carefully selected team and our pass rate is around 85 per cent.

“When clients are out on the roads, they need confidence and we would like to think we have a lot of experience in helping people feel confident.

“Some drivers are impatient and rude and it can be a huge distraction for young people who are already feeling stressed or anxious.”

As well as running a successful driving school for the last 30 years, Lynne has also lobbied with local political figures to crack down on the number of illegal drivers.

She added: “Being involved with the Reading Retail Awards has been very exciting. We have been sponsoring for the last two years.

“Not only are we sponsoring the Restaurant of the Year Award, we were also shortlisted for the Out-of-Town category.”

Pepe Sale, The Fox and Hounds, Miller and Carter, Cilantro, Cau and Himalaya Momo House have been named as the final five for the restaurant category.

Tickets are now on sale for the Reading Retail Awards 2017, which will this year be hosted by Sangeeta Bhabra from ITV and Reading FC legend Ady Williams on Saturday, September 16 at The Hilton Hotel.

All finalists will receive two free tickets, while additional tickets can be purchased at £75 at www.readingretailawards.co.uk/