DRIVING a tractor on his parents' farm may be the secret behind the success of a Tiverton teenager who delivered a faultless performance in his driving test.

Thomas Woodland, 17, was handed a clean test sheet by the examiner on completion of his driving test, with no faults on even minor points.

Thomas, of Little Holwell, Tiverton, who learnt to drive with RED Driving School, sat his practical driving test last week after 20 hours of professional instruction with driving instructor, Carl Eason.

He said: "I felt confident going into the test following my lessons with Carl, but I never in a million years thought I'd pass with no faults."

Growing up on a farm, Thomas has developed an understanding of the basic principles of driving and road safety awareness having obtained his tractor licence earlier this year at the age of 16.

He has also passed his compulsory basic training for a 125cc motorcycle.

He continues: "While it's been great growing up on the farm, having my driving licence now means I have more freedom to get out and about as well as being able to help out with my parent's business."

Thomas's driving instructor, Carl, who has lived in Tiverton for the past 13 years and teaches in Tiverton and surrounding villages, is delighted at Thomas's achievement.

He says: "He has been a model pupil, with the hard work he has put in on his lessons paying off with an exceptional test result. This is a rare achievement for which Thomas should be commended."

Carl said: "I have been a driving instructor for seven months and this is the first time I have had a student who has passed with no fault.

"I have spoken to other inspectors who have been doing it for years and they have never had a pupil pass without a fault."

He said Tom had shown a natural aptitude for driving from his first lesson.

"He had done a little bit of driving on the farm before, but he had a good road sense and it was quite a privilege to be able to fine tune that," he said.

Carl said as an instructor there was nothing more he could do once his pupils went out on their own with an examiner for their practical test. He said: "I was really happy when I heard Tom had passed with no faults, and the examiner told he was happy with his driving too."

More information about RED Driving School on www.go-red.co.uk