A NORTH-EAST student is getting on her bike to tour the country as the new face of a cough sweet.

Finola Wennekes, 21, of Sunderland, is representing Halls Mentho-Lyptus and supporting Sean Emmett, the company's rider in the British Superbike Championships.

Finola, a keen Thai-boxer and a broadcast and multimedia technologies undergraduate at the University of Sunderland, will travel the country, attending all 12 of the championship race meetings.

"I couldn't believe it," she said. "My boyfriend told me to enter the competition - its something I'd always wanted to do, but I was a little unsure.

"When they rang to tell me I was going to be one of the Halls girls, I thought it was a set-up."

Tomorrow, Finola will be at the latest round of the British Superbike Championship, at Knockhill, Scotland.

Fans can also see more of her on her website, www.finola-online.co.u