A BROKEN gearbox didn't stop Mini man Steve Johnson from scoring a top five finish at the Bury Autotest.

For the Accrington fire-fighter simply swapped the stricken car for his rally-prepared Nissan Micra and went on to finish fifth overall.

Johnson decided to contest the event in between rounds of the F1000 Rally Challenge, which he is currently leading in the Micra, using last year's Mini 1275.

But his day's sport looked for an early finish when he stripped first and reverse gears on the very first test.

However, organisers Bury Automobile Club generously allowed Johnson to start again, this time using his rally car.

"I'd driven down in the Micra just to bed in some new brakes ahead of this weekend's Proflex Stages," he explained.

"When the gearbox went, I thought that was it. Fortunately, the organisers let me swap cars and start again.

"All I had to do was over-inflate the tyres - which allows the car to lose grip more easily - and tape up the handbrake.

"In the end I got a decent result and managed to bed the brakes in too!"