CAR mechanic Peter Barnes is hitting the roof.

His carefully-laid plans to build up a business in his garage mending black taxi-cabs fell at the first hurdle when he realised his garage was simply too small. For as soon as he lifts the cars up on a jack, they scrape against the ceiling.

But help is at hand in the form of Preston Borough Council which has just given him the go-ahead to raise the roof.

"It's excellent news," Peter, of Miller Road, told the Citizen. But time isn't on his side. Until the paperwork is completed, the renovation work cannot start. So Peter's back is having to bear the strain as he struggles to get under the cabs to do the work.

Peter who set up the business four years ago after being made redundant, said: "Most of my work is black cabs. I do work on some domestic cars, but just MOTs.

"I'll have to wait till I get the papers through and then I have to find the money."

In the meantime he's still repairing black cabs. But it isn't doing his back a lot of good.

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