CHRIS Allen has more reason than most to celebrate passing his driving test – he lost an arm and a leg in a motorcycle accident.

The 44-year-old, from Kempsford, near Cricklade, succeeded on his fourth attempt in a car specially adapted to his needs.

He said: “It’s wonderful, I’m over the moon. I can go out when I want and take the wife out and go to the shops.

“I have already done trips to Swindon.”

Chris finally passed his test in Chippenham with four minor faults and he has already been down the M4.

He said: “I was very nervous – you get in the car and think about getting everything right, but on my fourth attempt I wasn’t so nervous.”

Chris’ life changed forever after losing his right arm above the elbow and his right leg below the knee in a motorcycle accident on a dual carriageway between Chippenham and Lavington in 1983.

He suffered a serious head injury, which meant when he woke from a six-week coma he had to be taught how to speak again.

He also uses a prosthetic leg.

At the time of the accident, he only had a provisional licence and was having driving lessons.

Chris first appeared in the Adver in September 2008 when he asked for the government to help him out with funding for his driving lessons.

He found he was ineligible for charitable funding because he is not aged between 16 and 24.

For the past 25 years Chris has had to rely on someone else to do things, particularly his wife Di.

Visits to Swindon, Chippenham or Cirencester gave him some measure of independence.

But Chris’ isolated location means there is only one bus service to Cirencester which leaves at 9am and returns at 12.30pm.

He started driving lessons last May and has funded them all himself.

His car, which is on a three-year lease through Motability from the Allen Ford dealer in Swindon, has been specially adapted. The car is automatic and the brake and accelerator are both operated by the left leg.

There is a knob fitted to the rim of the steering wheel to allow Chris to move it with just one hand.

Features such as indicators and windscreen wipers are operated by an infra- red panel the size of a mobile phone just off the steering wheel.

Chris said: “There were times when I thought I have bitten off more than I can chew.

“It’s a little bit more difficult, but once you get your head round it that you have got to use the infra red pad rather than flick the indicator it becomes second nature.”