A 25-year-old woman has retired from a globe-trotting modelling career to become a train driver.

Nicola Hanley is used to sun-kissed tropical beaches but is willing to give it up for Grimsby railway station in Lincolnshire.

Central trains is hoping this will encourage more women to apply for train driving positions.

Ms Hanley has to complete 250 hours training before she can start on her ambition to become the region's first female driver manager.

Ms Hanley is a former Page Three girl

Ms Hanley, who is based at Nottingham, said she had no regrets about her change of job.

The former Page Three girl said: "I've been modelling for about five years and I enjoyed it very much.

"But I got to the stage where I just wanted a steady career.

"Now I get to drive to Manchester Airport and Skegness.

"I don't know if you would call them exotic but I think its really good."

Ms Hanley is already working through the required 250 hours of driving time, including 70 hours at night

She said: "I'd like to finish my train driving, and do it for 10 years and then become the first driver manager at Nottingham station."

As the only women on the training course, Ms Hanley highlighted a recruiting problem for Central trains.

John Meeks, driver manager for Central Trains, said: "To be honest we get that many applicants it's a job sifting through them and while some of these are women to be honest it's only one or two a year."