AFTER 11 years and some 50,000 learner drivers, John Lyons, the senior driving examiner at the St Helens Test Centre has finally decided to call it a day.

John, 56, who lives in Golborne, first joined the Atherton Street centre in 1987 from the Warrington centre and during his time at St Helens, estimates that he made the day or broke the heart of almost 50,000 learner drivers.

John is retiring due to a medical condition and friends and colleagues held a farewell party for him at the Gerard pub on Dentons Green Lane.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.