AN ACTRESS has been backed by a home town taxi firm in her bid for stardom.

Charlotte Sisson, 24, a former Egglescliffe Comprehensive school pupil who grew up at Ingleby Barwick, has won a coveted place on an MA course in professional acting at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (ALRA), the same college attended by Miranda Hart.

And she is being sponsored by Boro Taxis who will help fund her course and living expenses.

Ms Sisson graduated with a First Class BA (Hons) in Performing Arts from Northumbria University, and has spent the last two years working with theatre and panto companies, playing the role of Alice in Wonderland in a Jewellery Channel advert as well as producing and starring in her own work.

She said: “To work in performing arts is all I’ve ever wanted since I was a little girl and I am very grateful to Boro Taxis for supporting me as I embark on the next stage of my career.

"It is an honour to be accepted on this course as the competition for drama school places is extremely tough – it is even more competitive than that of Oxford and Cambridge. For every 20 people that apply only one is offered a place."

Mohammed Bashir, founder of Boro Taxis, said: “We have followed Charlotte’s progress as her mum Julie is our administration manager. Everyone at Boro Taxis is thrilled.”

While at university, Charlotte starred in an online interactive drama series TryLife, which found more than 100,000 fans on Facebook.