DENISE Taylor is a girl who is a real winner with a spanner.

In a class of young male mechanics it was Denise, aged 17, who drove off with the Motor Vehicle Student of the Year award at Bolton Community College this year.

Among her achievements was fitting an engine, clutch and gearbox to a car.

Denise, who has still to pass her driving test, outshone 24 fellow students on her Institute of Motor Industry's (IMI)ABC Diploma in motor vehicle studies and welding at the Horwich Centre.

Denise, from Horwich, said: "I never imagined I would get something like this when I started the course.

"Since an early age, all I have wanted to be was a mechanic."

As well as passing the ten month course - which covers all aspects of motor vehicles from valeting to engine work - with flying colours, it was Denise's skill in rebuilding a stock car from scratch that really impressed the team of six class tutors.

Course tutor Bob Holding said: "It was her determination, effort, hard graft and enthusiasm that has earned her this award."

Mr Holding said: "This year, to be able to put what the class have learnt into practice, I decided to run a stock car building competition.

"The class were divided in to the three teams, Aston, Bentley, which was Denise's team, and Testarossa."

Three cars donated by the college were stripped to the shell, with students having to build it back-up from scratch in just ten months.

"I wanted to give the students something extra, I am sure that no other college has organised anything like this," explained Mr Holding,

"They have done me proud, it was quite an achievement.

"Denise would be here all the time working on the car which was an old Nissan.

"All the students knew what they were doing, in most cases I was just supervising!

"Denise co-ordinated her team and fitted the engine herself, she spent a lot of time in the workshop, and used to ring me on my day-off to come in!"

Denise admitted she did spend more time on the car than her team mates.

But she said: "It was a team effort to win the competition, everyone played their part, but the boys really did not mind me taking the lead and just getting on with it.

"The most enjoyable part was fitting the engine. I was so pleased when the car started the first time!"

Mr Holding added: "There were times when I thought we would never reach this stage, sometimes I used to walk in and there would be bits of car parts all over the place, but it did work, the students did it."

Denise will return to Horwich in September to study for the IMI Technician Award, and to continue working on her award-winning model.

"I am going to do some voluntary work with local garages in my summer holiday.

"There is not an awful lot left to do to the car.

"There are a few safety features which will have to be added before we can enter it in a stock race," said Mr Holding.

And Denise said between now and then she would be working hard on getting her full driver's licence.

Mayor of Bolton Cllr Frank White presented Denise with the Student of the Year Trophy at a special ceremony at the college.