FOUR years ago Mr Tom Rusk was washing cars to make ends meet during his gap year before university. Today he is to spearhead a new venture for one of Yorkshire's biggest car dealerships, which began in a modest way at Aiskew.

The 22-year-old has landed the job of handling all fleet car sales for Chrysler and Jeep dealer John Gill, despite having two months of a three-year degree course still to run.

While fellow management and planning students begin to worry about life after Loughborough university, Mr Rusk has his future mapped out and cannot wait to start his full-time job after completing his studies in May.

He began at the Aiskew dealership of John Gill as a Saturday errand boy, which primarily meant washing cars.

Now he returns to the dealership whenever he has free time, including holidays and weekends.

He said: "While I have always loved cars, I never thought for a second I would make a career out of selling them, but I love the daily challenge the job sets me."

John Gill also has a dealership at Killinghall, near Harrogate, one of only 22 of the 103 Chrysler and Jeep dealerships across the country chosen to spearhead a pilot scheme offering greater support to the small business and fleet sales market.

Mr Rusk will manage the Yorkshire operation, which is expected to sell more than 50 vehicles in its first year.