A YOUNG Glasgow businessman who started a specialist driving school

after being unemployed for a year has been named Britain's top

entrepreneur under the Livewire scheme.

Mr Gary McEwan, 26, started Associated Freight Training in Govan in

September last year to train drivers up to Large Goods Vehicle standard.

Many of his trainees are unemployed and the skills they learn greatly

increase their chances of employment -- around 95% of his successful

trainees are in work within a month.

In London yesterday, newsreader Martyn Lewis presented Mr McEwan with

a cheque for #3000 and a gold medal specially made by the Royal Mint. He

had competed against nine of the UK's best young businessmen and women

in the contest sponsored by Shell UK.

Mr McEwan said: ''It makes me personally very proud to win this award,

but it is a win for Scotland too. The money will enable me to buy a bus

to extend my training activities. Ideally I want to have a complete

training centre that also offers examinations.''

He offered this advice to those who are out of work and want to start

up on their own: ''Approach your local enterprise agency, get talking

and end the isolation that being without a job can bring''.

Two runners up -- Mr Nigel Fleming, 26, of the Upper Crust sandwich

shop in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland and Mr Stephen Illidge, 23, of

the Pyrotech firework company in Runcorn, Cheshire -- won #1000 and a

silver medal.

Livewire UK director Sandy Ogilvie said: ''I congratulate Gary on his

win, which is a fantastic achievement. All the businesses in the final

showed what a tremendous depth in ideas, planning, and management there

is amongst young people. The overall standards are highly encouraging.''